


Old Iron Gates

by Shadow_Side



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Multi, established threesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2019-10-20 13:03:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 60,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17622887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_Side/pseuds/Shadow_Side
Summary: Everything is not fine. Oh no. There's anadorablebeagle puppy in town, and whispers of something even more serious on the horizon, and as Cecil, Kevin and Carlos try to work out what's going on, it leads them deeper into the dark: to a long-hidden pact, and to the forgotten heir who might just change everything.And then the old iron gates start appearing, and with them an inescapable question:What comes through when they open?[A stand-alone fic set inChiralityverse, and a sequel toEverything Is Fine.]





	1. A Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> So here we go, dear readers.
> 
> This one has been a long time coming. The inevitable fact of the matter is: I like long-form fics too much. Even when I try to write my one-shots – which I love, no doubt about it – half of the time they end up going to 30k or more because apparently neither I nor my muses are good at being succinct!
> 
> And then there's _Believer_. It's been a year since that wonderful insanity-fest happened, so naturally I've been looking back on it and remembering how much fun it was. And this new idea has been poking at my head, over and over, muttering sweet possibilities in my ear.
> 
> And so… this happened. And whilst I haven't officially added it to the main series because I'm keeping that one as it was, this is without a doubt Part Five of Chiralityverse.
> 
> So what do you need to have read before you read this one? Well, ideally, all of it! Of course I'm going to say that. But, if nothing else, you need to have read all four parts of the main series, and those of you who have been reading _Summer Is Coming_ (which I finally finished!) will be in good stead as well, for _reasons_. Links to everything including the recommended reading orders can still be found in the [Chiralityverse Series Notes](https://archiveofourown.org/series/146883), a.k.a. the "Shadow Side Likes Non-Linear Storytelling" thing.
> 
> Shhhh. It's OK. Time isn't real.
> 
> You also need to read the short prologue to this one, [Everything Is Fine](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17384384), which I posted as a little stand-alone so as not to give away what I was up to until the very last minute!
> 
> ...I never said I was the good one, remember?
> 
> This time around, the chapters are all either directly named after episodes of the show, or plays on the names of episodes of the show. I figured you all deserved a break from my obsession with song-titles, and plus there's so much good material that there's no risk of me running out at any point. I'm also planning for this whole one to be from Cecil's point-of-view, because it's about time he got a full longfic all to himself!

"Awwwwwww," Cecil enthuses, staring at the beagle in delight. " _Who's a good boy?!_ "

It really is adorable. Totally, utterly, completely adorable, and he just wants to hug it and squish it and give it tummy-pets, and…

"…uh, Cecil?" Kevin cuts in, softly.

"…Hmmm?" Cecil manages, still totally focused on the beagle's hypnotic black eyes.

" _Cecil_ ," Kevin says, a little more pointedly, which Cecil's brain processes as being rather odd, given that Kevin usually shares his fondness for small, fluffy, adorable, perfect little balls of love and happiness and…

"…Uh, yes," Cecil replies, eventually. "Yes. Right. Well, Maureen, it was lovely to meet the newest member of your family. I hope you'll bring him around again sometime."

"I might," Maureen says. "Depends on what he wants. We'll see."

Yes. What he wants. Whatever he wants…

Cecil is vaguely aware of Kevin and Carlos chivvying him from the room, though he doesn't think much of it until they get outside the radio station itself.

"…Wow," Kevin manages, looking like he might fall over. "That dog is _pure evil_."

"It certainly is," Cecil says, dreamily. "It… wait. Wait. What? Pure _evil?_ "

Impossible. Impossible! How can something so wonderful be bad?

"Cecil, you went distant when you looked at it," Carlos points out, sounding nearly as concerned as Kevin.

"But I like puppies!"

"Cecil, sweetheart, dear double mine, that _thing_ is not a puppy," Kevin exclaims.

"…It isn't?" Cecil manages, feeling a little concerned himself now.

"No," Kevin replies. "No."

"So what is it?" Cecil has to ask.

"I don't know," Kevin answers. "Not yet. But I think it's safe to say… everything is not fine."

***

It's later that evening, and Cecil is acutely aware that neither of his husbands are happy right now.

Carlos has been off in his lab since they finished dinner, whilst Kevin has been engrossed in a particularly old book; turning the pages and occasionally muttering to himself.

"Should we be worried?" Cecil asks, finally, long after he himself has become very worried.

"Yes," Kevin replies. "Yes. I just don't know why. I… Cecil… couldn't you _feel_ it?"

"Feel what?"

"When we were near that… that _beagle_ … the waves of pure _hate_ radiating off it were… well, undeniable, at least to me. I haven't encountered anything that dark in… in _ever_ … and Cecil, let me remind you who I used to work for…"

Cecil does not need reminding. Certainly not today. He paces over to sit next to Kevin on the couch, taking his double's hand. "All I felt was… was the way I feel when I see a small, cute animal. It didn't seem weird at all."

"I think that's what it does to people," Kevin says. "I think it must be some kind of… of glamour, or shield, to hide what it really is, but…" A careful pause. "But why did it work on you? You're the most powerful human alive."

Even after a year and a half, Cecil still feels weird when Kevin calls him that.

"Maybe it's not about power," he suggests, softly. "Maybe it works because you want it to work."

"So why didn't it work on me?" Kevin says. "I love animals. Especially adorable ones."

"You've been convinced all day that something was wrong," Cecil reminds him. "And it was only a few minutes after what happened with those weird billboards, and you were still on edge."

"The billboards," Kevin murmurs. "They must have been connected somehow. Maybe… maybe to lull people into a false sense of security… But it didn't work on me because I know this day is _cursed_ or something…"

 _It still isn't as bad as last year,_ Cecil thinks, but doesn't say anything out loud, because he really doesn't want to think about any of that.

"Maybe we should mention this to Naomi," he suggests, instead. "If something is going on and this beagle isn't what it seems, she might know. Or, at least, she might be able to find answers in that vast library of hers."

"I know," Kevin concedes. "I just… you know, I wanted to fix this one myself…"

"You don't have to do that on your own, remember?" Cecil says, very gently, leaning in closer.

"…I know," Kevin says, again, but softer this time. "It's… just…"

"Kevin. Whatever all this is… it's nothing to do with _him_. He's dead."

"He's dead, yes," Kevin replies. "But I can't help feeling… he's still involved somehow."

Coming from most people, this would sound like rampant paranoia. But coming from Kevin… there's every risk he's right.

And that is not a thought Cecil enjoys. But before he can say as much, there's a cry of alarm from the direction of Carlos' lab, and seconds later the door bursts open and the scientist comes running through, eyes wide with fear.

Both doubles leap to their feet at once. "Carlos, what is it?" Kevin exclaims.

"There's someone in my lab," Carlos gasps. "I turned around and he was just _there_ , and he's not moving or anything. He's just standing and _breathing_."

Cecil's heart starts to race at once. Kevin, meanwhile, draws his knife and stalks straight towards the lab door. "We'll see about that…" he mutters.

Carlos looks at Cecil in renewed alarm, and then – without a word – they both follow Kevin; Cecil making sure to stay in front of Carlos. He can feel the power thundering in his blood, in a way he hasn't since the incident a year ago, and much as it _is_ good to know the things he can do, it's not a fun comparison to draw.

The lab looks as it always does, save for the person in question: a man standing dead-centre, staring at them with blank eyes. He's completely nondescript and uninteresting, save for the part where he isn't moving, not even a little, aside from the slow and regular rhythm of his breath.

Kevin points his knife at the man. "Who are you?" he demands. "What are you doing here?"

Nothing. No reaction. No movement. Nothing but continued existence, and _breathing_.

" _What are you doing here?_ " Kevin repeats, in his most no-nonsense voice.

Still nothing. Somehow, the inaction is even more unsettling than any kind of action the man might take. He doesn't attack them. He doesn't speak, or move, or anything.

He just breathes.

There is a very long, very heavy silence. Cecil can practically _feel_ Kevin preparing to respond, and he wonders if he should do something himself, and he's just about to say as much when Kevin's cellphone starts to ring.

They all jump. Well. The three of them do. The stranger continues not to react at all.

Kevin mutters something under his breath that sounds like it might be in Russian, and then pulls his phone out with his free hand, answering it without lowering his knife.

"Hello? Oh, hey, Naomi… mhmm… yes… yes, there's one here too. Yes, right out of nowhere. Fire, you say? Well, I mean, Darla would…"

A little chuckle. "I think stabbing might work too, but I haven't tried it yet. So how are you? Good day? Good, I'm glad. Oh… so-so here… there was all that stuff with the billboards, and then we met a really weird dog… Yes, that's right, a dog. A beagle, as it happens, and it was odd because it seemed to radiate pure _evil_ , which is not something that… Yes, why do you ask? Really? Connected?"

Cecil's blood goes cold. Kevin, meanwhile, seems oddly calm.

"…I see. Hmmm. OK. From the… OK, wait, what?"

Something about whatever Naomi is saying clearly gets Kevin's attention, because he lowers his knife and turns a little, almost as if he's worried about the stranger overhearing. Cecil and Carlos both move instinctively closer as well, trying to work out what's going on.

"…Well, I can get Cecil to give it a go," Kevin says, after listening for a moment. "And I… _shush_ , you, I do not! I… look, he is one of my husbands, OK? I'm allowed! And… no, no, I turned away, I didn't want it to…"

It's at this point that Cecil realises none of them are looking at the stranger. He glances back up at once – at the same moment Kevin does – and both of them shout in alarm when they realise that the stranger is _very_ much closer to them now.

Still standing. Still staring. Still _breathing_.

"Everyone back!" Kevin gasps, pushing both Cecil and Carlos further away from the stranger without stopping to explain and – this time – without taking his eyes off it. "Naomi, it moved when we weren't looking, I… OK… OK, yes, I'll tell him now. Cecil… Cecil, you know the banishing incantation for getting rid of things you've summoned?"

"Uh… yes, I remember it," Cecil replies. He doesn't exactly need it that often, but it's the sort of thing you try to keep in your mind once you know that you _might_ need it at some point.

"Good, good, so… if you could, I don't know, dial it up to eleven and then blast this thing with it? That'd be helpful. Otherwise there's a risk it may be about to kill us all. Or… you know, _worse_."

Cecil doesn't even want to know what constitutes 'worse' in this situation.

"Stay behind me," he insists, and when Kevin doesn't move, he gives his double a pointed look. "Both of you."

Kevin actually blushes a little, despite everything, and then does as he's told: keeping his knife drawn, phone still against his ear. And, though Cecil doesn't want to be near this _stranger_ , he at least feels happier that now the other two are further away from it.

"Cecil, be careful," Carlos implores. "We don't know what this thing is, or where it came from."

"I know," Cecil replies, not taking his eyes off the stranger; its blank-eyed stare leaving him cold and uneasy. "But I for one would certainly like it to go back there…"

He holds up his hands, and concentrates; feeling the power flare in his blood. Feeling what he can do. What he's _capable of_. And then, Cecil calls out the words of the incantation, locking eyes with the stranger as he does.

There's a moment when the whole world seems to be caught on the brink; the air heavy with the crackle of power and the weight of _resistance_. And then, without the slightest flicker of response from the stranger… it explodes, sending a cascade of black ichor flying outwards in all directions.

This is followed by a long, difficult silence.

"…Naomi, I'm gonna have to call you back…" Kevin manages.

"…Was that supposed to happen?" Cecil murmurs.

"…I've changed my mind," Carlos adds. "This day _is_ cursed."

***

It takes some time to get the ichor out of the lab. _Quite_ some time. They manage it eventually, though Carlos insists on keeping a couple of vials of it "just so I can run some tests" and right now they're so in the dark about what's going on that neither Cecil nor Kevin argues.

Plus, possibly they're both feeling a bit guilty about the ichor thing, even though there's no way they could have known the stranger would _explode_ like that. It isn't the usual response to that kind of banishing incantation, after all.

"So what was Naomi calling for?" Cecil asks, when they're finishing up in the lab and contemplating the joys that a long shower would bring at this point. "I figure it was something similar?"

"Yeah, she said there was a stranger at her place," Kevin replies. "Apparently Darla lit it on fire, but it just stood there and burned without flinching."

"I do not like these things one bit," Carlos murmurs. "They're unsettling. And they don't even obey the laws that normal demons follow."

" _Are_ they demons?" Cecil has to ask. "Or are they something else..?"

"Good question," Kevin says. "Naomi's looking into it."

"We should go see her," Carlos urges. "As soon as possible. I want to put a stop to this before it gets any worse."

"Seconded," Cecil agrees.

"I'll call her back once we've sorted all of _this_ ," Kevin replies. "We can arrange to meet up tomorrow. Given Naomi's usual standards, she'll probably have all sorts figured out by then and it will be fine…"

Although, much as Cecil has every faith in Naomi's abilities, somehow he thinks it might be wishful thinking this time.

***

It's much later.

They've dealt with the lab, and all taken extremely welcome showers, and now they're curling up in bed together. Although, not until Kevin has hung banners on all four walls of their bedroom, with powerful warding symbols stitched into them.

"What?" he says, when both Cecil and Carlos are surprised to find that he has such a thing. "I figured they might come in handy one day. It's important to be prepared. And this way, we can at least feel safe when we sleep."

Cecil is weirdly grateful for that. He's still deeply unsettled by what's happened, and the last thing he wants is to wake in the middle of the night and find another of those things staring at him in the dark.

He lies back, with Carlos curled in on one side and Kevin on the other; wrapping an arm around them both and holding on. A sudden possessive urge overtakes, and he pulls them in tighter, wanting to make them feel safe.

He promised he would, after all. Promised that no one would ever hurt either of them, ever again. And he doesn't like the thought that there could be something out there that he can't protect them from.

"We'll work this out," Carlos says, softly. "We always do. Something bad happens, and we deal with it. It's… kind of our thing, now."

"I know," Cecil replies. "It's just… what happened earlier… it's unsettling. And I can't help but feel that we're missing something."

Something big. And something dangerous.

***

The three of them head over to Desert Bluffs the next morning.

When they get to the hilltop manor house where Naomi and Darla Hartley live, they barely have time to knock on the door before it's been flung open and Darla stares out at them.

"There you are!" she exclaims. "You should come in. Naomi's been up all night and… well, see for yourself…"

It's hard not to find this worrying, even if Darla doesn't look too concerned. Then again, Darla _is_ a necromancer, so has different criteria to most people as to what constitutes a reason for concern.

Darla leads the way to the library, which is filled with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves loaded with hefty and sometimes ancient tomes. No librarians, though, which makes it far safer than the public library, despite it containing a number of books that literally have to be chained down for safety purposes.

Naomi Hartley is here, sitting at the central table, surrounded by several open books and – to Cecil's surprise – a number of old Strexcorp file dossiers. The sight of them fills him with alarm, and he can feel the way Kevin tenses up in response. What's more, Naomi appears to have constructed some sort of well-ordered crazy wall on a large free-standing display board. There's various notes and pictures pinned to it, and even some string connecting certain items. And dead-centre, there's a page copied from what looks like an old desk planner, filled with notes and appointments on every day, save for one:

Thursday June 15th 1995.

Written above it, in block capitals, are four words:

_Where did he go?_

"Ah, you made it," Naomi says. "I take it you've had no more trouble with these strangers?"

"Not yet," Kevin replies. "And… Naomi… what is all this?"

"I've been… busy," she starts out. "Didn't sleep all night. After what you said…"

"What, about the stranger?" Cecil asks, and the odd look in Naomi's eyes at that only worries him all the more.

"No," she says. "About the _beagle_."

"They're connected?" Cecil says, but even as he does he knows it's a redundant question.

"I think so," Naomi answers. "It's been a long time, but… I remember hearing rumours, when I was younger. Whispers of a dark power connected to a beagle somehow."

"So… why all the old paperwork?" Kevin asks. "This stuff must be twenty years old…"

"Twenty-one," Naomi replies. "Funny, the things you remember…"

"We're not going to like this, are we?" Carlos murmurs.

"It's all just conjecture at this point," Naomi says. "I'm trying to make sense of rumours I heard decades ago, and I don't know if I'm on even close to the right path."

"You usually are," Kevin reminds her.

Naomi meets his eyes. "That's what I'm worried about," she says. "Sit down. Let me explain…"

They join her at the table – Darla taking the seat at Naomi's side – and then Naomi looks away for a moment. "All right," she says. "I remember hearing rumours connected to a beagle back when I first started working for Strexcorp. It was the spring of 1995, and I'd just finished at Business School, and obviously Dad was eager to get me a position in the company, so… there I was, trying to learn the ropes as fast as possible. So anyway, I remember helping Aidan Outteridge with something he was working on, in order to set up a business trip for my father."

"A business trip?" Kevin says, sounding more surprised than anything else. Though Cecil still sorely wishes they'd had more time to prepare for another conversation about _him_. "I thought Mr H– I mean… I thought your father never left Desert Bluffs?"

Cecil immediately takes Kevin's hand under the table and holds on tight, and he's aware of Carlos doing the same on Kevin's other side.

"He didn't," Naomi answers. "That's the thing. My father didn't leave the land belonging to Desert Bluffs from the day he first got there until the day he went out to Night Vale during the occupation. Except… once. June 15th 1995."

"That day is _cursed_ ," Kevin mutters. "So where did he go?"

"I don't know," Naomi answers. "I've gone through as many records as I can get my hands on, and there's just nothing. No paperwork, no evidence, nothing. Dad leaving Desert Bluffs, even for a day, was _hugely_ significant, and I can't find a trace of information as to why. But I know it happened. I know I helped Aidan with some of the non-specific arrangements, and I have calendars that show a very conspicuous gap on that one particular day."

"But you think it was something to do with a beagle?" Cecil asks. "Because that's…"

"…weirdly specific?" Naomi replies, and gives a wry smile. "I know. Very weirdly specific. But I remember it – maybe because of how weird it was – and I can't help feeling sure there's a connection. Plus, those strangers… I saw one, in the Strex HQ tower, on that day back in 1995. Aidan told me it was just part of what my Dad was doing and said not to worry about it. And then I told Callum, and he… oh. Oh. Sorry, I shouldn't…"

She trails off, looking guilty.

"It's OK," Kevin insists. "It hurts, yes, but… I can talk about him now."

"Well… so I told Callum," Naomi goes on, cautiously. "He'd been involved in setting some of the trip up too, but he didn't want to talk about it. He said it would be dangerous to tell me, and it was safer that I didn't know. And I didn't argue, because Cal was pretty much the only person in Strex that I trusted back then, and I figured he must have a reason. And… that was that. It never got mentioned again, and it never seemed relevant again, and I pretty much forgot about it… until yesterday. And now…"

She trails off again, this time gesturing at all of her research materials.

"So… you think these strangers and that beagle are connected somehow?" Cecil asks.

Naomi nods. "Yes. And I think their being here isn't random. I think it's something to do with whatever my Dad did, that day in 1995."

"Can you get in touch with Mr Outteridge?" Kevin asks. "He's still on the First Infernal Plane, isn't he?"

"I don't know for sure," Naomi replies. "I've asked my planar relations contact to try to reach him, but I haven't heard anything back yet."

"Could something have happened to him?" Cecil wonders. "Something connected to all of this?"

"It's possible, yes," Naomi answers. "I won't know more until my contact gets back to me, but I'll let you know if anything turns up."

"So… what do we do now?" Kevin says.

"Yeah, I was wondering that too," Darla chips in. "Should we be going round the city and seeing if there's any more of these strangers to set fire to?"

"We need a less messy way to deal with them," Cecil points out. "The banishing incantation led to some truly _spectacular_ ichor, and I imagine fire isn't exactly clean, either."

"Not really," Darla agrees, with a shameless grin. "Effective, though."

"I'm looking into alternative options," Naomi says. "Something less messy. And less conspicuous."

"In the meantime, is there anything we can do that might get us some answers?" Cecil asks. "Is..?"

He trails off, looking guiltily at Kevin again. This would be a lot easier if Callum Outteridge's name wasn't suddenly in the mix, and he's not sure how to handle it.

"…It's OK," Kevin insists, again; seeing the look in Cecil's eyes and evidently understanding. "It's been a long time. And I have closure. And the two of you."

"All right," Cecil says, though he can't keep the hesitancy from his voice nonetheless. "Then… is there anything in the archives of Strex-that-was that Callum might have left? Any records which could give us a clue about whatever this thing is?"

Naomi shakes her head sadly. "There's nothing. When he was…" She trails off, just for a second; an old pain in her eyes, and Cecil knows it's because she and Callum were like siblings. "…After Cal died, all his records were seized and destroyed. On paper, it was to preserve the secrets of the Management Board… but the truth is, it was to make sure no one realised why he'd really been killed."

"So we're back at square one?" Carlos says.

Naomi nods. "I'm afraid so. In that respect, at least. If my people can find Aidan, he likely knows more than even Callum did. In the meantime, I'll continue my own investigations in the hopes of turning something else up. This _is_ one of the most comprehensive demonic libraries on the planet, after all," she adds, with a little grin. "If the answer's here, I'll find it."

"What about us?" Kevin asks.

"You keep your eyes open for more of those strangers," Naomi replies. "The last thing we want is for them to be able to build up numbers. Broadcast about it. Find out how many people in either town have seen one. And… warn them to stay clear if they do."

***

Leaving Naomi and Darla to continue their investigations, Cecil, Carlos and Kevin head homewards again. But, as they do, it's clear that Kevin – for one – isn't in favour of just staying put.

"I know Naomi's only trying to protect us," he says, as Cecil drives them home. "But I can't just sit still and wait for answers to appear. Not when my hometowns might be threatened. And… certainly not when it might be because of something that… that Strex was responsible for."

"…I agree," Cecil hears himself saying. But he means it. They've had enough experience to prove that nothing Strex-that-was did can be discounted as non-threatening or benign. "I just don't know what we _can_ do."

"To start off with, I think Naomi's suggestion was a good one," Carlos chips in. "Use your show to find out how many of these strangers have been seen in town. Then maybe we can find a pattern to it. And I'm going to do some tests on that ichor, in case I can come up with anything useful."

"You think we can science this one?" Kevin asks, with a little grin.

"Kevin, we science every one," Carlos points out. "That's why you have me."

"I don't think that's the _only_ reason we have you…" Kevin murmurs, leaning to pull Carlos in, kissing him softly; and considerately, given that Cecil can use the rear-view mirror to watch.

"We'll work this one out," Carlos says, as the kiss breaks. "And we'll find whatever's threatening the town, and we'll stop it. That's our _thing_."

He's not wrong, though Cecil can't help wishing that, just once, their thing could be quietly getting on with life, as opposed to regularly facing down world-ending calamities.

But sometimes reality has other ideas.

***

It's later that afternoon.

Carlos is safely back in his lab at home – with more of Kevin's warding banners hung on the walls – and the two doubles have headed to the radio station for their daily broadcast. They're midway through working out how to report on the strangers when there's a knock at the door, and Vanessa looks in.

"Hey, you two," she says, brightly, "I've got a press release to add to the news bulletin for today."

"Something major?" Cecil asks at once, wondering what can have happened.

But Vanessa shakes her head. "No. Just a change to the sports schedule. Apparently this year's Homecoming game has been moved due to – and I'm quoting now – 'an omen in the stars', so it's happening on Saturday instead of in the autumn."

"That's… weird," Cecil replies. "Who are we playing this year?"

"Well, aptly enough, the Scorpions are playing the Vultures," Vanessa replies. "Night Vale versus Desert Bluffs. Should be a good one!"

Cecil grins. "I don't doubt it," he agrees, glancing over at Kevin and expecting to see his double grinning too. But Kevin isn't smiling even a little. On the contrary, he looks genuinely alarmed, and oddly pale.

Not wanting to draw attention to it, Cecil waits until Vanessa has gone before he says anything. "Are you OK?" he asks.

"…No," Kevin admits. "And… yes… and…"

Now concerned as well by the way his double is acting, Cecil moves closer, gripping Kevin's hand. "What is it?" he pushes, gently.

"Homecoming," Kevin replies, and only as he speaks does Cecil suddenly realise what this is about. "The ghosts appear at Homecoming. Which means… if I go… if I go…"

Kevin avoided it last year, and Cecil never questioned it, even though he understood why. He reaches to pull Kevin in close, and only once he has does his double speak again, confirming precisely what Cecil is thinking.

"…if I go, Callum's ghost might appear. He… might be able to help us. But… Cecil… I don't know if I…"

He's shaking now; like he did the night he told them the whole terrible truth about Callum Outteridge. The first man he loved. And the man Derek Hartley made him kill.

"…you can do it," Cecil says, softly. "You can. Because both of us will be there with you."

Kevin lifts his head from where it's been buried against Cecil's shoulder, meeting his eyes. "You don't have to do that," he insists.

"Of course we do," Cecil replies. "We'd never leave you to do something like this alone."

"All right," Kevin whispers. "Then… then we'll go. And… see…"

But it isn't going to be easy. Oh no.

Far from it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I should say at this point, though it's probably obvious from my posting in the first place, but I'm not actually dead! I am, however, recovering from a sudden and unexpected bout of the flu that hit me right when I was _supposed_ to be finishing and posting the opening chapter of this new thing. (If you want to make the Smiling God laugh, tell it your plans!)
> 
> Needless to say, I am now a lot better, and ready to get properly into the swing of this one. But profuse apologies for my complete disappearance at a point when I was blatantly about to do something! Also, profuse apologies for the delay if you get a comment reply from me soon - I'm not kidding when I say this unexpected flu completely wiped me out and I got nothing done for the best part of a fortnight!
> 
> On a more fun note, I'm very much looking forward to what I've got planned for this one. There is - as I did with Believer - a full plan written, and I've got some big stuff coming up, even if I do have to hide every time I write anything to do with the strangers because, goodness, those guys creep me the heck out!
> 
> Catch you all soon, dear readers... hopefully this is me resuming normal service! :-)


	2. Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand I'm back again! I figured after my unplanned hiatus, I should get things on track, so have a second chapter to develop the plot a little more. This one features a reunion sequence I've wanted to do for ages, and I don't mind admitting it damn near broke me!

By the time Saturday rolls around, Kevin is more distracted than Cecil has seen him in months.

There have been no more developments when it comes to the strangers. They're still appearing in seemingly random places all over town, but no one has any idea as to why, or what they might be doing when nobody is looking.

And then there's the Homecoming game itself. Leaving aside the bizarre decision to reschedule it three months early, the fact of it being Night Vale versus Desert Bluffs seems weirdly significant. Since the fall of Strex and the beginning of the new friendship between the two towns, they've maintained a healthy and fun sports rivalry – and that's fine – so theoretically nothing about the upcoming game should be a concern.

But it is. It is a concern. Something about it isn't right.

Cecil has bigger things to worry about, though. Kevin is still intent on going to the game in the hope that the ghost of Callum Outteridge might appear, and whilst this could lead to answers about their current situation, it isn't going to be easy.

Of course it isn't. How could something like this ever be easy?

"I… can go on my own, if you want," Kevin says, the night before, as they're getting ready for bed.

"We're not leaving you," Carlos insists, firmly, taking Kevin's hand. "We're both OK with this. Right, Cecil?"

"Right," Cecil agrees at once, stepping in behind Kevin and wrapping both arms around his waist. And then, because he understands why Kevin is so skittish, he adds, "…It doesn't make us love you any less, you know? That you loved him. That he meant so much to you."

"I just… I don't want you to think…" Kevin starts out, quickly, but Carlos lays gentle fingertips over his lips for a moment.

"We don't doubt that you love us," he says. "You don't have to be afraid of that."

"And… and what if he doesn't want to see me?" Kevin adds. "I _killed_ him. Why _would_ he want to see me..?"

"He knew, didn't he?" Cecil asks, softly. "When your former employer made you do it. Callum knew you didn't have a choice."

Kevin drops his head and nods, just once. He's shaking so hard now, and Cecil's heart aches to see it. He meets Carlos' eyes over Kevin's shoulder, and he can see the concern there, and the pain.

They've never blamed him. Not once. How could they? But they've never quite been able to get him to stop blaming himself.

"It's going to be OK," Cecil insists, hoping against hope that he's right. "And no matter what, we'll be with you, and we'll never stop loving you."

They pull him into bed, keeping him between them, and Kevin goes willingly; curling up against Carlos' chest with Cecil wrapped in behind him. He seems to relax a little at that, though he's still shaking.

Cecil wishes, so very badly, that he could chase every last drop of pain out of his double. Wishes there was some way to put an end to the shadows in his past. But it isn't that easy. All he can do is keep being here, and keep reminding Kevin that it's OK.

That they don't blame him. That he won.

***

The evening of the game finally arrives.

It's been a long, hot day, and the sun is still low on the horizon, as sports fans from both Night Vale and Desert Bluffs gather at the Night Vale High Stadium. The crowds are a sea of purple and yellow as they arrive; good-natured and excited for the game to begin.

Cecil has never been much of a sports fan, but he goes to the Homecoming game every year, and enjoys it well enough. There's always people to talk to, or old friends to run into, and that's even before the ghosts appear. The football side of things is somehow always superfluous to the rest, but that's OK.

He's on edge this evening, though, because of Kevin. Though he also wonders if his own mother will appear. She usually does, on Homecoming night, and he's hopeful he'll still be able to talk to her. And… maybe introduce her to Kevin. His double carefully avoided Homecoming last year, after all, and the year before that was the incident where the game was cancelled because of that poor, non-existent boy. So they haven't yet had a chance to meet.

The game itself begins to thunderous applause, and cheering, and even the rumble of a few helicopters that have broken off their usual surveillance activities to enjoy the evening. And as half-time is finally called – with the score a perfect tie – Cecil realises that this is it. The crowds mill out onto the pitch, and – in the gathering darkness, the sun having set at last – the ghosts start to appear.

This is always a bittersweet time. On the one hand, getting the chance to visit with a departed loved one is a rare and precious opportunity. But, on the other… it can make that loss feel all the greater, when the night is over – and sometimes even before – and the mood in the air is complicated indeed.

Kevin walks slowly through the crowd, a few steps ahead of Cecil and Carlos. He clearly needs the space – at least, in public – and to the untrained eye he looks so calm and carefree, like he's just enjoying the atmosphere. But then, he's always been far too good at hiding his true emotions.

Around them, the soft glow of ghostlight leaves strange shadows on the pitch, and still Kevin paces. Moments pass like lead weights, heavy with unresolved tension, and Cecil starts to worry that maybe – maybe – this isn't going to work.

And then they see him.

At the edge of the pitch, a little removed from everyone else, a single spectral figure stands watching. It's a young man, aged in his late twenties, and even in ghostly form it's clear he has the same bright blue eyes as the other children of the old Strexcorp Management Board. He looks a lot like his father, too: the same round face and slightly unruly hair.

Kevin stops absolutely dead. Catching up with him – and exchanging a look of their own – Cecil and Carlos both put a hand on their husband's back.

"We're here," Cecil murmurs. "It's OK."

The spectral young man looks over at them, and as he does, he smiles.

"There you are," says the ghost of Callum Outteridge.

"…Cal?" Kevin manages, the name catching on his lips under the weight of so many years. "Is… is it really..?"

Callum holds out his arms. "As much as is possible, under the circumstances. Yes. It's me."

"I… I didn't know if I should come," Kevin says, not yet stepping closer. "Because… because of what happened…"

"You think I blame you for what Derek did?" Callum replies, gently. "I knew you had no choice."

"I _murdered_ you."

" _He_ murdered me. I always knew that. And I'm here now, aren't I? Would I have come if I blamed you?" Callum smiles, just a little; happy and sad at the same time. "Now, Kevin… tell me, who do you have with you?"

Kevin seems almost sheepish at the question, and then he reaches back, gesturing Cecil and Carlos closer, and taking their hands. "…My husbands," he answers, softly. "Cecil and Carlos."

Now Callum smiles more, looking between them. "Two of you," he says. "That must be something. I imagine Kevin has told you about me?"

"He has," Cecil answers. "And I'm glad we finally got the chance to meet you, so to speak."

"I'm glad to know that Kevin has someone there for him," Callum replies. "Including your own double? That must be… interesting."

Kevin actually blushes just a little. "It is," he says. "And we have our Carlos, who is a _brilliant_ scientist. He…" and he hesitates a second, voice cracking slightly under the weight of the past again, "…he's one of the two scientists who finally worked out how to destroy the Bloodstone."

A pause, and then Kevin's words are no more than a whisper. "We did it, Cal. We destroyed it. We took down Strex. We _won_."

"If anyone could, it would be you," Callum says. "So… it's really over?"

Kevin nods. "Yes. Strex still exists, but it belongs to Naomi now, and Desert Bluffs is free."

Callum suddenly has tears in his eyes. "Naomi made it through?" he asks, quietly.

"She did. We couldn't have won without her."

"And… and the Board..?"

That's the million dollar question, after all.

"Your father turned on the rest of them, at the end," Kevin answers, still so very quietly. "He… found out the truth about your death."

"So he's still alive?"

"Yes. The others are dead. I killed them myself."

Callum stares at him. "You… you killed _Derek?_ "

Kevin nods. "Yes. With a piece of the Bloodstone. Your name was the last word I said to him."

Even amidst the hubbub of the crowd on the pitch, the air is suddenly silent at that.

"…You killed him for me?"

"I killed him for a lot of reasons," Kevin answers, his voice heavy with the things he isn't saying. "But one of them was you, yes."

"And… and now?"

"Now Desert Bluffs is free, and our relationship with Night Vale is strong… and I get to live with my two amazing husbands, doing a job I adore."

Callum smiles, tears still in his eyes. "I knew you could do it. From the moment I first met you… I knew. But… you're not just here to reminisce, are you?"

Kevin looks down. "No," he admits. "I… I'm sorry, I…"

"Don't apologise," Callum interjects, gently. "I'm sure this can't be easy for you. Now… tell me. Tell me what's happened."

"We're not completely sure yet," Kevin replies. "But there's a _really_ weird dog in town. A beagle. And everyone seems to think it's adorable, except for me, because I can _feel_ the evil pouring off it. And there are…"

"…strangers," Callum says, seeming to realise. "Strangers who appear without explanation, and who stand and stare, and _breathe_."

"That's right," Cecil tells him. "And Naomi thinks it's all something to do with a meeting that Derek Hartley had, back in 1995."

Callum's ghostly eyes go distant. "Oh yes," he breathes. "I remember helping my father set up that meeting. It was so odd…"

"Odd, how?" Carlos asks.

"Well, usually when Derek had important meetings, he had them at HQ," Callum answers. "It was a power-thing, you know. If someone wanted to see him, they had to go to him. But this particular meeting… I didn't know all the details, but I do know that it had to take place on another plane."

"Do you know which one?" Kevin asks.

"No," Callum says. "It was strictly need-to-know. Derek and my dad were the only ones who had all the details. Well. You can bet that Susan knew too. I only knew a little of it."

"So what was the meeting for?" Kevin pushes.

"It was to discuss some kind of deal or arrangement," Callum answers, "between Strexcorp and a third party. A being who manifests as a beagle when on this plane."

"But why?" Cecil asks.

"Why not?" Callum counters. "An obvious demon, people would question. But a cute little beagle?"

"Good point," Cecil concedes.

"But I don't know more about it than that," Callum goes on.

"Would your father know?" Kevin wonders.

"He might know more," Callum answers. "I'm not certain. Are you able to contact him?"

"…He's missing," Kevin now has to say. "He was supposed to be back on the First, but Naomi's planar relations guy can't track him down."

"…Oh," Callum replies, softly. "Kevin… you have to consider the possibility that he's been captured – or worse – by agents of this thing. Because he knows too much."

"I know," Kevin says. "Was there anyone else involved?"

"Actually, yes," Callum says, clearly realising. "There was one other person. Derek didn't go to the meeting alone. He took his new PA with him. Andrew Fletcher."

Kevin curses under his breath.

"Is he dead?"

"No. He's in prison. He tried to help the Belmonte twins take over Night Vale last year."

"…Things really have been eventful, haven't they?" Callum manages.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Kevin replies. "I guess this means we need to speak to Andrew."

Callum nods. "Yes."

"Something to look forward to," Cecil adds, dryly.

"Quite," Callum agrees. "I'm sorry I can't be more help. I was deliberately kept out of the loop."

"No, this is good," Kevin insists. "I mean, I'm not looking forward to seeing Andrew again, but if it might be useful then I'm all for it."

"Be careful," Callum says. "Whatever this thing is, it's dangerous enough that even Derek was concerned by it."

Kevin nods. "We will," he promises, and then looks down. "I'm… glad I came tonight. I'm sorry I didn't do it before."

"Don't apologise," Callum insists. "I know how difficult this must be for you. But I can tell that – the weight of the past aside – you're happy, and that means everything. I… hope you might come back again next year."

"I will if you will," Kevin says, his voice cracking, and both Cecil and Carlos move in closer to him at that, which makes Callum smile.

"I will," he promises. "You two look after him now. He's special."

"Count on it," Cecil replies.

"Well, then," Callum says. "Until next time…"

And, with a nod, and another little smile, the ghost of Callum Outteridge fades from view.

For a long, long moment, Kevin just stands, staring at the empty space, and then he turns without a word, collapsing against Cecil's chest and burying his face in his double's neck. It's certainly a more emotional reaction than he'd usually go for in public, but Cecil is ready for it nonetheless; wrapping him in close. Carlos moves to press against Kevin's back, hands on his shoulders, and between them they just hold him.

He's shaking so hard, it's as if he's just been pulled from an icy river – despite the heat in the air – and for several minutes they don't move, staying as they are; a point of stillness in the midst of the crowd.

"…I'm sorry," Kevin gasps, suddenly, though he doesn't let go.

"For what?" Cecil asks, gently.

"For losing it like this. I should be… should be…"

"Should be what?" Cecil pushes. "What you just did can't have been easy. We knew that. We're here for you."

"And we got a lead," Carlos reminds them. "Even if it wasn't the most welcome news, it will still help."

"I know," Kevin manages, softly.

It's another moment before they pull back, though both Cecil and Carlos keep a hand on Kevin, not wanting to break contact entirely just yet.

"Oh… Cecil… I know you wanted to try to find your mother," Kevin says, remembering. "We should look around, see if–"

But before he can say any more, there's a sudden burst of angry shouting from further down the crowded pitch. People start turning in alarm, honing in on the source of the sound, and seconds later there's another outburst from a different part of the pitch.

"What is that?" Cecil says, feeling a wave of concern.

Seconds later, there's yet another outburst of yelling, and someone comes flying through the air, landing roughly on the ground close by. It's not anyone Cecil knows, but they're dressed in Night Valean colours.

"Well, you _would_ think that, being from the _Bluffs!_ " the person shouts back at whoever threw them, scrambling up and launching back into the crowd.

"…Whoa," Kevin breathes. "That's not right. Something's…"

He falls silent, and Cecil understands why because he feels it too: a weight in the air, and the crackle of distant power, and as their eyes meet they don't have to speak to be understood.

"Stay close," Cecil says to Carlos, urgently. "There's…"

It's his turn to be cut off; this time by a dull but unmistakable rumble. It's followed by a series of hasty flickers in the low lighting, as all the remaining ghosts start to disappear. As they do, there's a roar off to the side, and another fight breaks out.

And, again, it's clearly people from Night Vale versus people from Desert Bluffs, and the air is heavy with hostility. There are several screams from the far end of the pitch, followed by a burst of light as something catches on fire.

"We have to stop this!" Kevin exclaims. "We…"

His eyes go to Cecil. Cecil's awesome powers are not well-known, and he's always preferred to keep it this way, but it's clear from Kevin's eyes what he's suggesting.

"…I know," Cecil says, realising he has no choice. They can't let this destabilise into a full-blown riot, after all. "I think you should do the talking, though."

Close by, several more people in purple and yellow break out into a scuffle; shouting surprisingly hurtful things at each other, and now Cecil knows they can't wait.

"All right," he says. "All right. Stay close."

Cecil concentrates, letting the sense of power fill him up… and then throws out his hands, filling the air with radiant purple light. It certainly gets everyone's attention, though there are a few shouts of fresh alarm as people back off, taken by surprise. And then, seizing the moment, Kevin jumps up onto a bench at the edge of the pitch, staring at the now-still crowd.

"Hey!" he shouts. "All of you. What are you _doing?_ We're supposed to be allies now, and here you all are acting like the last two years never happened! We didn't fight the Battle of Night Vale _or_ the Battle of Desert Bluffs just so you could behave like _petulant children!_ "

"Trust someone from the _Bluffs_ to get preachy at a time like this!" someone calls out.

" _Don't you talk to my husband like that!_ " Cecil exclaims, without thinking – realising as he does that whatever's going on is affecting him too – and letting the air crackle with sudden threat. "No one suffered more to bring us together than he did! Our peace was bought with his _blood_ …"

The words spill out, honest but unbidden, and they make Kevin stare at Cecil in shock, clearly not sure how to react. They're both spared from what comes next – at least for now – because at this point Carlos suddenly shouts, "…Wait, look!"

Because, whilst everyone has been so focused on events unfolding on the pitch, no one has stopped to consider what might be happening elsewhere. No one except Carlos, who is now pointing up at the empty seats… which aren't quite empty anymore.

A row of shadowed figures stands at the far end of the stadium, on the very top row, silhouetted against the sky in the rising moonlight. They're dressed in long, hooded robes that ripple in the light breeze; arms held out, faces hidden.

But it's the figure in the very centre that truly stands out: robed like the others, but wearing an elaborate headdress consisting of the antlers of a stag, which looks equal parts striking and terrifying. There's an amulet around the figure's neck, and though Cecil can't make out what it is, it glitters gold in the moonlight.

That central figure reaches to their back, drawing a knife… no, a _dagger_ , with a blade that also glitters gold, and even at this distance, Cecil can feel the way the power in the air dials up at that. A sudden thrumming cuts the air, and the row of figures begin to chant in resonant unison.

And the second they do, the _instant_ , Kevin gives a shout of alarm. "Run!" he calls out, frantic and afraid. "Everyone, _run!_ "

Pulled from their violent reverie by what's happening, the people on the pitch don't need telling twice. They all turn, hurrying in the opposite direction from the row of figures, who are still chanting as one. The air above them is going green, and _angry_ , and Cecil is sure he's felt something like this before.

"We have to stop them!" Kevin shouts, his voice heavy with horror. "They're summoning H'ygragagogoth! They'll kill dozens of people if it gets through! Cecil… Cecil, you have do something!"

Even after a year and a half, Cecil still isn't quite sure what he's supposed to do with his powers. He can summon things with ease if Kevin tells him how, and he can open planar gateways, and he can also do fun and intimate things that make his husbands very, _very_ happy… but when it comes to life-or-death combat, he really isn't sure. In the past, instinct has gotten him most of the way, and he can only hope that it will work here too, because he knows from prior experience that you do _not_ want to be around if someone is summoning H'ygragagogoth.

"Take Carlos and run," Cecil says to Kevin. "Don't argue. Go now. I need you both safe."

"I am _not_ leaving you!" Kevin insists.

"Neither am I," Carlos adds, though his eyes are wide with alarm.

" _Now_ ," Cecil repeats, in the firmest voice he can muster. "Get everyone out of here. And try to stop them killing each other!"

Both his husbands stare, clearly caught between not wanting to go, and not quite being able to disobey Cecil when he uses _that_ voice on them.

"…All right," Kevin concedes. "Don't you _dare_ die, Cecil Palmer."

"I won't," Cecil promises. "Now go!"

And, as Kevin and Carlos race off after the retreating crowds – Kevin not letting go of Carlos as they do – Cecil turns, and advances down the now-empty pitch. He doesn't actually know what he's supposed to do now. He's just hoping against hope that his instincts will kick in.

He's clearly caught the attention of the row of hooded figures, and he can feel the way they're watching him. Overhead, the green light is growing brighter, and stronger, and any moment now, there's going to be a rip in reality, and…

No. No. No rip in reality. Just light, purple light, glowing suddenly from Cecil's raised hands. He's not even sure when he did that, just that he _did_ , and that the purple light is now enveloping the green, pushing it back. The interruption clearly hits the chanters hard, and they lose their rhythm; one or two falling to their knees, before the incantation falters entirely and dies.

And there's a roar of rage; a primal roar, from the stag-horned figure at the very centre. They brandish that golden blade in Cecil's direction, calling out something that sounds like it's in Dzy-an-thyl, and though Cecil doesn't understand the words, the tone is unmistakable.

It's a threat. A very angry threat.

"You stay away from our towns!" he calls out in reply. "Whoever you are and whatever you want, we don't allow interlopers here!"

"This isn't over!" the stag-horned figure howls, in English this time, and only now is Cecil confident the speaker is a woman. "Mark my words!"

But the group clearly don't dare try anything else right now. The fallen members scramble to their feet, and they all run for it, down the back stairs of the stadium and out of sight. Only once they're gone does Cecil lower his own hands, letting the last of the purple light fade, and exhaling in relief.

His heart is racing in his chest, his mind still trying to process what's just happened. Power thundering in his blood, he turns, but there's no one else left in the stadium. Except…

…No. No. There _is_ someone else: someone standing alone at the far end, near the touchdown line. Someone unmoving, save for the slow and regular rhythm of their breath.

A stranger.

***

By the time Cecil gets outside, the secret police have moved in, and are gently encouraging people – sometimes with the aid of blowdarts – to behave themselves. Though, to be fair, most of the crowd seem to be in shock now, and even the ones who were fighting don't quite seem to know why.

Kevin is in the middle of getting a very profuse apology from the person who yelled at him in the midst of all that, when Cecil emerges. He manages to wave the person off, and then both he and Carlos hurry over to Cecil; the three of them collapsing into a very tight hug.

"You did it," Kevin gasps. "I knew you could."

"Are you OK?" Carlos adds.

"Yes," Cecil replies. "Yes… I'm OK. I don't know who those people were, but I think they might have caused all the fighting."

"I think you're right," Kevin agrees. "And, to make matters worse, I recognise that blade. The one the leader was holding. I've seen it before."

"It belonged to Susan Hartley, didn't it?" Carlos surmises, as the same realisation dawns on Cecil.

Kevin nods. "Yes. It's incredibly powerful. They say she got it from the Smiling God itself, as a gift for her devotion. But no one said what happened to the dagger after her death."

"She's… definitely dead, right?" Cecil asks, with a sudden shiver.

"Oh yes," Kevin replies. "That part, I don't doubt. But we know she left instructions to people when she was dying, and I can't help but think her last plan hasn't quite come to fruition."

"I can't help but think all of this is connected," Carlos adds. "The strangers, and that beagle… Hartley's secret meeting… and now this."

"Well, at least we have one lead," Kevin reminds them. "Andrew Fletcher. Not that I relish the thought of seeing _him_ again."

"For now, we should go home," Cecil says. "Looks like the game is being called off, and I really don't want to get blowdarted by accident."

"Seconded," Kevin agrees.

And as they depart, they can see the crowds clearing behind them, leaving only a handful of strangers standing motionless in the moonlight.

Standing and breathing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...this would be the point at which I lovingly encourage those of you who haven't read [Summer Is Coming](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15377664) to do so. It'll help, trust me!
> 
> Catch you all soon, dear readers!


	3. The Man From Desert Bluffs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings, dear readers. I return! Today's chapter starts off pretending to be plotty, before devolving into wholly unplanned smut (which is why it took me longer to finish, argh).
> 
> So... have some of that. Shhhh, I made it as far as chapter three this time! Let's just call it a belated Valentine's gift... ;-)

By the time they get home, it's late, and the sky overhead is dark and awash with stars.

All three of them have been quiet on the journey; a little too overwhelmed by the evening's events to be quite sure what to do. At least until they're home, and safe inside the warded walls.

"…I don't even know where to start," Kevin manages, pacing into the middle of the living room, arms wrapped around himself. "That was… I want to say 'too much', but maybe it was par for the course, given our past history…"

"Do you want to talk about it?" Cecil asks, carefully. He knows that Kevin _does_ want to talk about it, but at the same time, he knows it won't be easy. "Do you… do you know who that stag-horned person was?"

Kevin sighs, not dropping his arms. "Not for certain," he replies. "But they – and the people with them – must be surviving members from the Coven of the Sun. The one with the stag horns had Susan Hartley's dagger, after all. And I'd bet anything you like that they're still following her orders, even though she's been dead for years."

"But to what end?" Carlos wonders. "What's left for them to do? Strex-that-was is gone, and everyone from the Management Board families is dead, apart from Aidan, Lauren and Naomi."

"There's one thing left," Kevin replies, his voice going hollow. "The one thing they wanted above all else. The true purpose behind everything Strex did."

"…The Smiling God," Cecil says, softly.

Kevin nods. "Yes. They might still be trying to find a way to let it through."

"How, though?" Carlos says. "They'd need an old oak door. And… the right key."

"Which they don't have," Cecil adds, the memories making his skin prickle.

"No," Kevin agrees. "But they might be looking for another way. Though precisely what… I don't know. And I certainly don't know why it would include attacking a football game. They did something to the crowd, that's for sure. They wanted people to fight."

"It's more than that, though," Carlos points out. "They wanted the two towns to fight. Maybe they're even responsible for the game being rescheduled in the first place, so that they could get a lot of people from both towns together all at once."

Kevin stares at him. "You're right," he breathes. "You must be. They wanted this to happen. But why? Just to let H'ygragagogoth kill people? I can see why they might enjoy it, but it wouldn't be _tactical_. And if these guys are following old orders from Susan Hartley, you can bet all the blood in your body that _everything_ they do is tactical."

"And… what's the connection to the strangers?" Cecil adds, shivering when he thinks about them. "There were several around tonight and I don't think it was a coincidence."

"It can't have been," Carlos says. "They're connected to something that _Derek_ Hartley did, years ago. There's just no way that in turn isn't connected to whatever _Susan_ Hartley's people are now doing."

"And that is very bad news," Kevin agrees. "They're both dead and we're _still_ not rid of them…"

"But it's still a connection," Carlos points out, obviously trying to sound positive. "Which gives us more chance of finding a lead. So it's useful even if it isn't welcome."

Kevin looks down. "You're right," he says, quietly. "I know. I… just…"

He tightens his arms around himself more, in precisely the way he does when what he actually wants is to be using them to do something, but can't. And the truth of the matter is, what Kevin needs right now is to be distracted.

Cecil glances at Carlos, and he can see the mirrored understanding in the scientist's eyes. And then he steps closer to Kevin, carefully putting his hands on his double's shoulders, waiting for the other man to look up.

"Tell me what you need," Cecil says, soft and sure. "To be strong? To surrender? Or… just to curl up in our arms?"

The line between them – especially the first two – is often so narrow in Kevin's case that sometimes it's sensible to ask. And Cecil really doesn't want to get it wrong tonight.

As for Kevin, his eyes are hesitant at the question, but he replies quickly nonetheless. "To be strong," he replies, sounding almost guilty about it, though hopeful all the same.

Cecil nods, and looks over at Carlos again. He's confident what the response will be in his case, but he wants one nonetheless. And Carlos gives a nod of his own, not saying a word, yet making himself quite clear by the look in his eyes.

It's crucial to be on the same page about these things, after all. And, sure that they are, Cecil reaches over, takes hold of Carlos, and pulls him closer, between himself and Kevin. It makes the scientist give a gasp of delight, which turns into a shameless little moan as Cecil tugs Carlos' hands behind his back, keeping them like that.

Kevin only hesitates for a second, before he throws caution to the wind, and – accepting the very obvious offer – launches in to kiss Carlos hard. Cecil can feel just how easily Carlos surrenders to it, practically melting between them, and he's glad about that because he knows Carlos needs distracting too. It's just a little easier, in his case.

" _Yes_ ," Carlos gasps, as the kiss breaks. "Kevin, _please_."

The enthusiastic encouragement clearly helps, because there's a sudden smile on Kevin's face as he presses in for another round of kissing; hands going to start unbuttoning Carlos' shirt. He makes light work of it, breaking the kiss as he pulls the shirt open, and immediately leaning to start kissing Carlos' chest instead.

" _Ohyes_ ," Carlos cries out, arching back against Cecil. "Yes. Please. _I'm all yours_."

He really is absolutely delicious when he begs. Kevin looks up, toying lightly with one of Carlos' nipples as he does, and it's clear he's already firmly in a headspace of his own.

"You are," Kevin replies, voice finding that low, seductive tone that never fails to drive Carlos wild. "And I'm going to ravage you out of your beautiful, brilliant mind whilst Cecil holds you still, so you couldn't resist even if you wanted to…"

Not that this would ever be an issue. If Carlos really wanted them to stop, they'd stop. But both of them know just how much he likes it when they imply otherwise.

"I'll do anything," Carlos breathes, going suddenly still and very much _not_ resisting. " _Anything_."

Kevin launches in to kiss him again, full of renewed fire, hands roving over Carlos' chest as he does, and Cecil can feel just how much the man between them is shaking with need. It makes his own blood flare with a need of his own, though he tries to keep it under control for now, wanting to stay focused on the other two.

As the latest round of kissing breaks, Kevin's hands move down between Carlos' legs, stroking roughly over fabric but no more.

"I know what you want," Kevin purrs. "I know what you _need_. But you're going to have to beg me, Carlos. And you're going to have to make it good…"

" _Please_ ," Carlos gasps, at once. "Kevin, please, I'll do anything… you know I'll do anything…"

Kevin smiles, eyes suddenly wicked. "Not even _close_ ," he breathes, and immediately kisses Carlos again; the other man moaning in response and – finally – struggling just a little.

"Oh no you don't," Cecil murmurs in his ear, which makes Carlos jump and then freeze. "You're not getting away from me. Which means that Kevin can do whatever he likes with you…"

" _Oh_ ," Carlos cries, his knees shaking. "Please… please… I need you so badly… I'll do anything you want… you know I will… _please_ …"

"Better," Kevin purrs, smoothly. "But… I still think you can try harder. Maybe you need some more motivation…"

His hand goes to his back, drawing his knife, and the way Carlos _shudders_ in anticipation is absolutely delicious. Kevin leans in, slipping the glinting silver blade under Carlos' jaw, which makes the scientist go completely still.

"You like that, don't you?" Kevin says, stroking the blade slowly up the middle of Carlos' throat. "You've always liked that. Even when you thought you shouldn't…"

" _Please_ , Kevin," Carlos gasps.

"Please what?" Kevin pushes. "Please stop? Please more? Please ravage you out of your mind..?"

" _That_ ," Carlos manages. "The last one. _Please_."

"Oh, I'm going to," Kevin tells him. "You know I'm going to. When you beg me. When you _really_ beg me."

Carlos takes a deep, shuddering breath, and tries to look imploringly up at Cecil.

"You think I'm the good one again, don't you?" Cecil says, in his most dangerous tone of voice, and even Kevin's eyes flash with delight at the sound of it. "I'm not. Not even close. And I'm going to enjoy watching Kevin do everything he's promising… or threatening? There's a fine line between them, after all…"

That makes Carlos drop his head, and even though he's not actively resisting, Cecil can feel the way the man surrenders at the words.

"Please," Carlos whispers, leaning into the blade a little as he does; not so much chasing as _offering_. "I'm yours. All yours. Do what you want with me."

Kevin uses the edge of the knife to tilt Carlos' head up again, meeting his eyes, and there's such a beautiful longing passing between them that Cecil's breath catches at the sight of it.

"I think we should take our husband to bed, Cecil," Kevin says, after a moment.

"I think you're right," Cecil agrees.

He walks Carlos down to the bedroom without letting go of him; Kevin leading the way. When they get there, Cecil pulls Carlos' shirt right off, and then tugs him onto the bed; pushing him onto his knees in the centre and slipping into place behind him, so as to keep holding his wrists.

Kevin, meanwhile, climbs onto the bed in front of Carlos, knife still held at his side.

"Now," he says, lifting his free hand to toy lightly with one of Carlos' nipples, "remind me why we brought you here…"

"Because I'm yours," Carlos answers at once, and it's clear from his voice that his mind is drifting deeper. "Both of yours. I need you. I want you. _I love you_."

That makes Kevin smile, a flicker of himself underneath the persona he slips into at times like this. "We love you too," he says, and then lifts the blade to stroke it firmly across the top of Carlos' chest; enough that the pressure and the threat will be undeniable. " _Beg me again_."

" _Please!_ " Carlos cries out. "Please… please… I…"

He's rapidly losing coherence, and it really is so very wonderful to watch him sink under like this. Kevin leans in closer, slipping his blade away with a snap, and then starts to open up the front of Carlos' trousers, pulling his clothing out of the way as much as is possible in the current position.

And _then_ Kevin starts to stroke him, which makes Carlos whimper in gratitude, his body shaking with need at first, under the other man's firm ministrations, but then gradually relaxing again as he gives in to it.

"That's it," Cecil breathes, softly. "That's it, just let go…"

"You're ours," Kevin says, leaning in to murmur the words against Carlos' lips. "You're all ours."

" _Yes_ ," Carlos gasps, his voice a little distant. "Yes… yes, I… anything… anything…"

He's clearly drifting now, his mind sinking deeper and deeper, and for a few moments he lies in their arms, murmuring in bliss.

"Are you close?" Kevin asks him, finally, when it's clear that he is.

"Y-yes," Carlos answers. "So close… I…"

And Cecil can feel the precise instant that Carlos realises there's a wicked, wicked smile on Kevin's face. " _Good_ ," Kevin breathes, and stops stroking him at once, letting go and sitting back.

Carlos cries out in desperation, trying to surge towards Kevin, but Cecil is ready for him and keeps his hold firm; one hand still pinning Carlos' wrists and the other moving to wrap around his chest.

"Did you think I'd go easy on you?" Kevin purrs, smile unfading.

"I… hoped…" Carlos breathes, though it's clear from his voice that a large part of him hoped the exact opposite.

"Oh, you'll come screaming, in the end," Kevin tells him. "I promise you that. _When I let you_."

His eyes flick up to Cecil. "There's something I want to try," he goes on. "Something new. But… we should all be less clothed."

Cecil smiles. "I think we can manage that."

They shift position, pulling off what's left of Carlos' clothing and then lying him flat on his back in the middle of the bed. "You stay right there," Kevin tells him. "You understand?"

"Yes," Carlos gasps at once. "I promise."

The two doubles stand up now, which makes it easier for them to start stripping off each other's clothing. Cecil pulls Kevin in to kiss, lingering over it, but at the same time not pushing him; wanting him to keep taking the lead. He knows Kevin would surrender too if Cecil asked for it, and whilst that's a deeply gratifying thought, it's not one for tonight.

When they're done, Kevin reaches to take the handcuffs from the nightstand, pressing them into Cecil's hands. "If you would?" he asks, graciously.

"But of course," Cecil replies, just as graciously, and he slips onto the bed beside Carlos, who is watching them both with desperate longing in his eyes. "Hands above your head," Cecil tells him, and the scientist obeys at once, letting Cecil cuff his wrists together with the chain looped around a bar in the headboard, keeping him in place.

"Now we _really_ have you," Cecil says, with a smile of his own; leaning to kiss Carlos firmly before lying back at his side, so that Kevin can do whatever it is that he's got in mind.

And, given that this is one of those times that they _haven't_ planned in advance, Cecil doesn't know what it is, so he's almost as wide-eyed as Carlos when Kevin sets a single, pale candle on the nightstand, and lights it.

"I know you want this," he says to Carlos, climbing up on top of him and straddling his hips. "I've seen you staring at a candle flame before, and I _know_ what you're thinking when you do…"

"I… uhm… I have considered it…" Carlos manages. "For… ah…"

"For science?" Kevin suggests. "There is plenty of scope for _repetition_ , after all, if you like this…"

"I… think I might…"

That makes Kevin smile. "I think you might too. Shall we find out?"

"Yes," Carlos answers. " _Please_."

Kevin reaches over to the table and takes the lit candle. The flame flickers as he moves it closer, and there's an almost ritualistic edge to the way Kevin settles back into place, with the candle held over Carlos.

"I'll start out slow," he promises. "You know what to say if you need me to stop."

There's a weight in the air, now: the palpable sense of anticipation, which Kevin draws out for one more moment before he tilts the candle, and drips a thin line of wax across the top of Carlos' chest.

" _Oh_ ," Carlos gasps, his eyes going wide again.

"Is that good?" Kevin asks, with a smile, because it's clear from Carlos' reaction what the answer to this is.

"Yes," Carlos says at once. "Yes. Please… _don't stop_."

So Kevin keeps going, letting drops of pale wax fall onto Carlos' dark, beautiful skin… and, as he does, Cecil can't help thinking there's a logic to it, as if Kevin is drawing something out. Or… no, _writing_ it. Just not in English, which means it's hard for Cecil to guess at what it might say.

Carlos, for his part, already seems completely lost in the sensations; gasping over and over. It must hurt a little, if not a lot, although given their track record by this point, he might not quite process it as pain. He certainly seems to be enjoying it, if the way his eyes are rolling back is any indication.

"Oh, you do like that, don't you?" Kevin says, after a moment, looking pleased by the reaction. "I bet you'll like the second part too…"

Carlos blinks up at him, hazy-eyed and surprised. "There's… there's a second part?"

Kevin smiles again. "Oh yes. You just wait…"

Cecil leans in closer now, gently stroking the hair back from Carlos' forehead, before kissing his temple. "You look so beautiful right now," he says, softly. "I mean… you look beautiful all of the time. But especially so like this."

"I love you both so much," Carlos breathes.

"We love you too," Cecil tells him, and kisses him again.

Eventually, Kevin sits back, leaning to set the candle on the nightstand again before admiring his handiwork.

"So what does it say?" Cecil asks, with a smile.

" _'In all the worlds, forever'_ ," Kevin replies. "It's Dzy-an-thyl, from an ancient poem:

 _And though power splits the sky,_  
_Nought can split the bond,_  
_I am yours and you are mine,_  
_In all the worlds, forever._ "

That makes Carlos gasp in delight, and Cecil reaches to put a hand on Kevin's side.

"It's beautiful," he says, which makes Kevin blush.

"The translation isn't perfect," his double replies. "And my pictograms are a little wonky. But it's close enough. Now… I did promise a second part to this, didn't I?"

Carlos gives a rather emphatic nod, and Kevin laughs softly, now leaning to pick up his knife from where it's lying on the nightstand. And then he lowers it to Carlos' chest, slipping the blade under the edge of one of the lines of wax, and starting to slide it along, lifting the wax off.

" _Whoa_ ," Carlos gasps in surprise. "That's… that's…"

Kevin grins. "I thought that might work for you," he says, looking pleased again.

"It does," Carlos replies. "It… _wow_ …"

And, still smiling, Kevin keeps working: lifting off the lines and curves of wax piece by piece, before finally leaning to put them on the nightstand. From a practical point of view, it means they're not going to end up with wax in the bed, but given the blissed-out look in Carlos' eyes, this is only an added bonus.

When the last of the wax is gone, Kevin traces the blade up the middle of Carlos' chest, which makes the other man whimper in appreciation. "Well," Kevin says, in a very faux-idle tone, "what _shall_ we do with you now..?"

" _Anything you want_ ," Carlos gasps.

Kevin leans down to kiss him, hard and quick, and then climbs off him; lying down at his side and then meeting Cecil's eyes. And it's true Carlos has claimed in the past that he thinks the two doubles can read each other's minds, which they can't, but sometimes their thoughts are so in sync that it's almost as good.

Such as right now, for example. Lying either side of Carlos, the two doubles each slip a knee between their husband's legs, pulling them apart and making him cry out in renewed desperation. He gives more than a slight tug on his cuffed wrists, and Kevin leans in closer, tracing not-so-idle fingertips over Carlos' chest.

"You're not going anywhere," Kevin purrs. "We have you right where we want you. _At our mercy_."

That's when he gets hold of the lubricant, pouring some out and then offering the bottle to Cecil so he can do the same. And then they both stroke fingertips between Carlos' legs, teasing him for a moment before – one then the other – each slowly pushing a finger into him.

"Y-yes," Carlos gasps, his whole body shaking in pleasure. "Yes… _please_."

"Let me tell you what's going to happen next," Kevin says, leaning in close so as to speak into Carlos' ear. "We're going to finish warming you up, and then I'm going to watch Cecil have his way with you. _And I'm going to enjoy it_. And when he's done, I'm going to do the same… and if you come before I tell you, there _will_ be consequences. Do you understand?"

Carlos nods, very quickly. "Yes," he says. "I understand. I'll do anything, I promise."

They keep teasing him for a few more moments; fingers sliding back and forth, and Carlos is still shaking all over with need as they do. Finally relenting, they pull their fingers free, and Cecil reaches for the lubricant, slicking himself with it. And, whilst he does, Kevin starts slowly stroking Carlos, making the scientist cry out in desperate bliss, his eyes wide and hazy.

"Remember what I told you," Kevin says to Carlos, as Cecil moves into position.

Seemingly unable to speak, Carlos bites his lip and nods rather a lot, before crying out in renewed pleasure as Cecil finally starts to push into him.

"You feel amazing," Cecil breathes against Carlos' lips, as their hips lock together. "So very amazing…" and he lets a wicked smile cross his face, because he knows Carlos will love it, "…but I'm not going to go easy on you."

And he starts to move whilst Carlos is still staring up at him in delighted alarm, gasping at just how good it all feels. He's aware of Kevin watching them, and he likes that – he's always liked that – and he meets his double's eyes for a moment, wanting him to know.

He loves them both. So very, very much.

"… _Oh_ …" Carlos whimpers, eventually. "I… I…"

"Don't you dare," Kevin breathes in his ear. "You understand?"

Carlos looks pleadingly at him, but manages a nod. "Yes," he gasps, and turns those deliciously imploring eyes on Cecil.

"I'm not the good one," Cecil reminds him, with another smile; leaning in to whisper in Carlos' other ear. " _And I think you're in trouble_."

He's chasing his own release quick and fast, need starting to burn in his blood, and it only takes another moment to undo himself completely. Cecil cries out as he comes, face in the crook of Carlos' neck, revelling in every last second of bliss. And somehow, Carlos does manage to hold on, even though it leaves him whimpering over and over, his hands clenched tightly in the cuffs.

" _Oh_ , Carlos, that was wonderful," Cecil breathes, still curled against him and just enjoying the closeness for a moment. He can see Kevin smiling at them both, and he knows from the look in his double's eyes that the other man is in no rush to make him move.

And plus, this means they can wind Carlos up a little more first, which he will enjoy even if he claims otherwise.

"…P-please…" Carlos gasps. "Please… I need…"

Kevin puts a hand on Carlos' face and turns it to meet his eyes. "You need?" he says, softly. "Tell me what you need."

"Let me come. Please. I'm begging you."

"Not yet," Kevin breathes, his smile wicked again. "Not even _close_."

Carlos whimpers in desperation, and he really is utterly delicious when he does that. Cecil waits another moment before he finally pulls back, lying down next to Carlos again and stroking teasing fingertips over his chest, watching the way it makes tremors run through his whole body.

" _Please_ ," Carlos gasps, staring imploringly at Kevin. "Please."

There's a long pause where Kevin doesn't move, or speak, and then – very suddenly – he reacts all at once; slicking himself with lubricant and then moving in between Carlos' legs, pushing into him firmly.

"Oh yes," Carlos cries out, "yes… please… please, I'll do anything…"

"You're all ours," Kevin growls against Carlos' lips, and wow but that's hot to watch. " _All ours_. Say it."

"I'm yours," Carlos gasps. "Both of yours. _Always_."

Kevin starts to move his hips quickly now; sliding his free hand through Carlos' hair to pull his head back and bare his throat, kissing him over and over right where it will most drive him insane.

" _Yes!_ " Carlos cries. "Please… _merciful Einstein, please!_ "

"Not yet," Kevin tells him, soft and deadly, and Carlos all but howls in desperation. "I told you I'd ravage you out of your mind…"

The tension in Carlos is visible all over, and he bites his lip again, somehow managing a nod. It makes Kevin speed up even more, chasing his own release, his breathing ragged.

They make such a beautiful sight like this. Cecil could watch them all night. Though he doubts either man will last much longer, given how wrecked they both look.

And when Kevin finally comes, he holds onto Carlos so hard, you'd be forgiven for thinking the whole world had flipped upside down; riding out every last wave of bliss until the final one passes and he curls in tight against Carlos, gasping deeply.

Cecil reaches over, stroking a gentle hand through Kevin's hair. "I love watching you fall apart," he says, softly, and Kevin manages a little murmur of happiness in response.

It's another moment before Kevin lifts his head again, stroking over Carlos' cheek and meeting his eyes.

" _Please_ ," Carlos gasps, barely more than a whisper.

Kevin doesn't answer straight away, and all Carlos can do is keep staring at him imploringly, and it really is mind-blowingly delicious to watch. Because Cecil knows Carlos really will let Kevin deny him, if that's what he wants… and he also knows Kevin would never do that to him.

Not forever. Just long enough to reduce him to such wonderful pleading.

And then Kevin pushes a hand between the two of them, starting to stroke Carlos hard, and making him cry out in utter desperation.

" _Come for us_ ," Kevin tells him, and Carlos barely lasts a couple more seconds before he's nigh-on screaming the roof off in release; his whole body shaking as he comes hard, and only Kevin being on top of him keeps him from lifting right off the bed in the process.

When Carlos finally drops back, it's clear his mind has completely gone too, and he's drifting in that lovely, distant place he goes to with the right encouragement. Kevin kisses him softly, slowly – all gentle affection now – and then reaches to unlatch the cuffs around his wrists. Carlos gives a tiny, indistinct murmur at that, and then another as they roll him slowly onto his side so that Kevin can gather him in close, and Cecil can curl in behind him.

"Oh, that was good," Cecil breathes, the most coherent of the three right now, and then he reaches to grip Kevin's hand against Carlos' hip. "Did it help?"

Kevin nods, and curls in tighter. "Yes," he replies, softly. "The two of you are good at that."

Cecil smiles. "We've had a lot of practice."

Carlos murmurs again, in obvious agreement.

"I think Carlos concurs," Cecil says, kissing the back of his shoulder. "And you," he adds, gripping Kevin's hand tighter, "you really are hypnotic to watch when you're like that."

"You… still like it?" Kevin asks, and there's an odd hint of nervousness to his voice that makes Cecil lift his head, so he can see the other man properly.

"Of course," he replies. "Don't ever doubt that. I love _all_ of you, remember?"

" _All_ ," Carlos murmurs, a distant but undeniable affirmation of his own.

"I don't know what I'd do without the two of you," Kevin manages, voice heavy with emotion.

"And you will never have to find out," Cecil reminds him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up next: ALL OF THE PLOT. You may have noticed that this one has two very distinct lines of said plot and the intersections between them are going to be SO MUCH FUN and by fun possibly I mean evil but YAY!
> 
> (Shhhh, it's been a long week but now it's Friday and as such I am happy.)
> 
> Catch you all soon!


	4. Missing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday, dear readers! I come with the next chapter of this one, in which there is PLOT. And... things. The central scene features the return of not one but two characters whose names begin with A, and who I have missed writing for very different reasons...
> 
> ;-)

Kevin seems much calmer the next morning. By the time Cecil comes pacing into the kitchen for breakfast, both of the other two are here already, and Kevin is in the middle of making his still-wholly-illegal pancakes.

"There you are," he says, brightly, going over to kiss Cecil before returning to the stove. "There's fresh coffee in the pot."

Cecil joins Carlos at the table. He, too, looks to be in a good mood this morning; already halfway through a cup of coffee and smiling to himself.

"What are you thinking?" Cecil asks, reaching for the coffee pot.

"I was just thinking of all the scientific ways you two are amazing," Carlos replies. "It's quite a long list. And there could be graphs."

Kevin steps up behind him, arms around his shoulders and leaning to kiss him on the neck. "Have I mentioned that you're adorable when you talk science?" he says.

Carlos grins sheepishly. "Once or twice," he replies.

"I'm glad you're both feeling better this morning," Cecil says. "And, you know, last night was good."

" _Really_ good," Carlos concurs, rather fast. "You should bring candles to bed more often…"

"Should I, now?" Kevin purrs, kissing his neck again. "I thought you might enjoy that…"

Cecil is confident that _Kevin_ would enjoy it too, though he doesn't say as much out loud because he doesn't want to disrupt the other man's current mood. He really is hypnotic to watch when he's like this.

"I did," Carlos manages. "It… I… Yes."

"I know you too well," Kevin says, brightly, and kisses Carlos on the top of the head before going back to his pancakes.

It's only after they've had breakfast, and are finishing off their coffee, that Cecil finally decides to mention the issue at hand.

"What's the plan for today?" he asks.

"I called Naomi earlier this morning," Kevin replies. "She's making arrangements for us to visit the prison where Andrew is being held. We should be able to go see him this afternoon."

Cecil nods. "All right. Hopefully he knows something that might help."

"And will tell us," Kevin adds, with a slightly dark look in his eyes. "Although, if not…"

" _No_ , Kevin," Cecil says, firmly.

Kevin pouts at him. "Awww," he replies. "But it would be so satisfying. Can I at least imply it a little?"

"…If you think it will help."

"I _know_ it will help," Kevin says. "Andrew has always been scared of me on some level. Even if he'd deny it to the death."

"Are you coming with us?" Cecil now asks Carlos.

"Actually, I might head over to the lab," Carlos replies. "I know it's Sunday, but a couple of the others are going in as well. We're trying to work out what's going on with the strangers. What they _want_. And if that ichor is relevant in any way."

"All right," Cecil says. "We can all share our findings when we get home."

"Oooh, maybe with the chalkboard!" Carlos exclaims, happily.

He really is adorable when he's like this.

***

In the days of Strex-that-was, there were quite a number of prisons in Desert Bluffs: several of them hidden, and all of them very bad news. Now, there are only two, and neither are the ominous voids – metaphorical or literal – they once were.

A number of people left from the former Strex administration, who remain loyal to the old ways and unwilling to re-evaluate their standpoint, are incarcerated at the smaller of the two prisons, which sits on the western outskirts of the city. By the time Cecil and Kevin arrive, it's early afternoon, and they've been cleared to see Andrew thanks to Naomi Hartley's influence.

Andrew Fletcher. It's a year since they last saw him, during the attempt by the Belmonte twins to take over Night Vale by raising the second Bloodstone, and Cecil doesn't relish the idea of being in the same room as the man again. Andrew's betrayal had played a key role in getting Cecil, Kevin and Carlos stranded on the First Infernal Plane and, whilst they ultimately triumphed, they all went through a special kind of hell when they were there.

Kevin especially. Which Cecil tries very, very hard not to think about, because it fills him with ungrounded emotion; emotion he can't ever act on, due to the target of said emotion being very, very dead.

Andrew himself had been Derek Hartley's PA for well over two decades, and Cecil knows he'd been in line for the job as Hartley's fixer until Kevin came along. And, despite knowing full-well what Kevin went through as a result, Andrew still resents him for it.

Possibly this is not going to be a fun conversation. But it is a necessary one.

"How do you want to play this?" Cecil says to Kevin, as they climb out of the car and start walking towards the front gates of the prison.

Kevin tells him. Cecil stares.

"…Are you allowed to do that?" is all he can manage.

Kevin gives a bright nod.

Sometimes Cecil still thinks Desert Bluffs is weird.

***

Once they're inside the prison, the two of them are led down to one of the interrogation rooms, where Andrew has already been moved. They pause at the door, Cecil staring at Kevin just in case the man has decided to change the plan (which apparently he hasn't) before taking a deep breath and pacing into the room alone.

Beyond, the room is square and grey, and reasonably well-lit. There's a table in the very centre, and seated on the opposite side of it, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, is Andrew Fletcher.

His eyebrows go up when he sees Cecil, and it's clear this wasn't what he's expecting. And then he immediately stares at the door, obviously concerned by the missing party in all this.

"Wow," Andrew breathes, unimpressed. "What world-ending catastrophe drove _you_ here?"

"We'll get to that," Cecil replies, settling at the table opposite Andrew and giving him a careful look. "How have you been?"

"In prison," Andrew retorts. "And I'm even less in the mood for small talk than I used to be, so please spare me and get to the point."

If it was pretty much anyone else sitting in front of him, Cecil probably _would_ just get to the point. But it's Andrew. And it's hard to suppress the memories his presence evokes.

Plus… there's a plan. And Kevin's part in it will be infinitely more effective if Cecil gets his part right.

"Get to the point?" Cecil repeats. "I thought it was traditional to lie about the point for a couple of days first, in order to lull everyone into a false sense of security?"

Andrew whistles through his teeth. "Touché. Since when did you grow a backbone?"

"Since the two loves of my life and I were lured into a near-literal hell," Cecil answers, levelly. "By you, as it happens."

This makes Andrew sit back, arms folded. "Cry me a river," he retorts, though there's the barest flicker of concern in his eyes at the same time. "You're the enemy, and I'm not sorry."

"Now that, I believe."

"Very good. Now cut to the chase and tell me what you want. And, more importantly, where your wretched double is."

Cecil gives a little smile. "Don't you worry, he'll be along in a moment. I wanted the chance to talk to you alone first."

Andrew scoffs. "You? What could we possibly talk about?"

"The purpose of my visit, as it happens," Cecil says. "I need to ask you about something that happened twenty-one years ago. Something Derek Hartley did."

"And I need to tell you to go to Hell," Andrew retorts, flatly. "I won't help you. No matter what you say. You and your tedious double ruined my life and my hometown, and there is no torture you can dream up that is worse than reality."

It's at this point that – perfectly on cue – there's a very heavy knock at the door. Well. Less a knock and more a _thud_.

Andrew's eyes instinctively go wide. "What did you do?" he demands.

Cecil smiles. Should he be enjoying this? Because… part of him is enjoying this.

Maybe that's wrong. But it doesn't seem to stop him.

"I didn't do anything," Cecil replies, pleasantly. "Besides, you did say you wanted to see Kevin."

"'Wanted' is not the word I'd use," Andrew points out.

But before he can say anything else, there's a second heavy knock and then the door thuds open. The instant it does, Kevin comes pacing in… and he isn't alone.

Cecil is still surprised that he's allowed to do this inside the prison. But apparently he is. And he has. Because, following along behind Kevin is his soul-bound demon, Azatothoth the Bloodthirsty, who is eight feet tall, bat-winged, and currently looking _very_ happy about something.

"Andrew!" Kevin exclaims, brightly, as the door thunks ominously shut behind the demon, who has to duck to get through it. "How have you been?"

" _In prison_ ," Andrew replies, with a pointed eyeroll that doesn't hide how concerned he looks now. "Why is _he_ with you?"

"Why not, mortal?" Azatothoth rumbles. "I'm _so_ helpful at times like this. Very motivational. People have a tendency to answer questions a lot faster when I'm holding them upside down."

Andrew folds his arms even tighter. "You're not allowed to do that."

"Well, here's the fun thing," Kevin starts out, idly pacing behind Andrew and out of the man's line of sight. And, given that Andrew clearly doesn't dare take his eyes off Azatothoth, this means he can't watch both of them at once.

And he isn't watching Cecil at all.

"You see," Kevin goes on, "these days, it _is_ rather a grey area to have a demon on hand during an interrogation. Or, indeed, holding you upside down by your ankles until you talk. But the thing is, Andrew, back in the days of Strex-that-was… it was common practice. And I should know."

"Yes, you should know," Andrew manages, trying to sound unflappable whilst being, in fact, very much flapped. "Nothing I did was close to as bad as the things you did. And yet _I'm_ the one in prison."

"That would be because I was _mind-controlled_ ," Kevin points out. "Whereas you were acting of your own volition. And continued to do so, once the source of said mind-control was removed, thus proving the point."

Andrew scowls. "Speaking of the point, could you get to it?"

Kevin steps up behind Andrew and puts both hands on the man's shoulders, which makes him jump visibly. "Andrew, I'd _love_ to," he says. "Shall I have Azzie hold you upside down now, or wait until you start refusing to cooperate?"

"I'd rather not be held upside down full-stop, if it's all the same to you."

"All right," Kevin replies, as if conceding; letting go of Andrew and pacing off a little way. "But it's going to disrupt the flow of things if we have to pause in the middle to wait for you to stop screaming."

"I am not a screamer," Andrew retorts. "Unlike _someone_ I could mention."

Somehow, Kevin manages not to react to this out loud, though the look in his eyes is painful to behold. Azzie, meanwhile, seems to bristle defensively at the comment.

"I could go off you," he growls. "You wouldn't want that. Just FYI."

Andrew runs his hands through his hair. "For the love of the Smiling God, please just tell me why you're here."

"Twenty-one years ago, you went to a business meeting with Mr Hartley," Kevin says. "It was the one and only time he left Desert Bluffs until the day he went out to Night Vale during the occupation. We need to know who that meeting was with and what it was for."

There's a long, long pause.

"…Oh," Andrew manages, finally. "I… can't talk about that."

"Why?" Kevin counters. "Because he told you not to? He's dead, Andrew. He's dead because I ran him through with a foot-long shard of the Bloodstone. And that's well after he chose me over you. You owe him nothing."

"That isn't how loyalty works, Kevin," Andrew throws back, though it's clear from his tone that he's rattled. "Not that you would know. You were _nothing_ but trouble, and _still_ every time, he'd just get you re-educated and–"

It's at this point, perhaps realising the effect that this statement will have on his summoner, Azatothoth decides to put a very firm and spiky hand on Andrew's shoulder.

"You should get to the point," he rumbles. "Rapidly. Before the point gets to you."

It's a good thing one of them is keeping things on track, though Cecil isn't sure quite what it says that that one person is _Azatothoth the Bloodthirsty_. Right now, Cecil himself is fighting a wave of surprisingly dark emotion, and not feeling nearly as guilty about it as he thinks he should.

"The point?" Andrew repeats, though the effect is somewhat lost by the fact that he's gone high-pitched. "It was a business meeting twenty-one years ago. You really think I remember everything I did that long ago?"

"I think you'd remember this," Kevin replies. His voice is still so level, but Cecil isn't fooled by it. "June 15th 1995. A Thursday, as it happens. Mr Hartley had a meeting with someone. A meeting that Aidan Outteridge helped set up, with further assistance from Callum and Naomi. A meeting so important, Mr Hartley actually deigned to leave Desert Bluffs for it."

"Well, I _don't_ remember it," Andrew retorts. "I was Mr Hartley's PA for a long time. I was involved in _lots_ of important meetings."

Azatothoth takes this moment to put his other hand on Andrew's other shoulder, which – if nothing else – means that Andrew has to sit very still to avoid all of the spikes. The former PA glowers for a long moment, and then gives Cecil a complicated look.

"Tell them to stop," he says, half-demand and half-plea. "You're the good one. Tell them to stop."

Something snaps in Cecil's mind at that. "What is it," he starts out, rising slowly to his feet with his hands on the tabletop, "that makes people think _I'm_ the good one?"

The room darkens; and though Cecil can't see it, he knows there's purple light haloing him from behind; like an army massing at his back. He doesn't even do it deliberately. It just _happens_ , and he's so caught up in it that the surprise doesn't show.

It's certainly effective. Andrew's eyes go wide, and he seems to be trying to back away, even with Azatothoth standing so close.

"L-look," Andrew manages, "I'm not lying to you. I don't remember. But… but I don't mean I've just forgotten the details. I remember _nothing_. There's a void in my memories. There always has been."

Slowly, Cecil lets the lighting in the room return to normal, though he stays on his feet, staring down at the other man. "He wiped your memories? Completely?"

Andrew gives a nod. "I think so. I don't remember a thing. That whole week is just… gone."

"You'd better not be lying," Azatothoth growls.

"I'm not," Andrew insists, very quickly. "I swear."

Cecil slowly sits back down and then glances over at Kevin, whose expression is a whole world of complicated. "Do you believe him?"

"I do," Kevin says, softly. "And I only know of one thing that would completely hollow-out a person's memories like that. Re-education."

"I've never been re-educated," Andrew replies. "Why would I be? I've always been loyal."

"Maybe so. But if Mr Hartley needed to make you forget… it's the best way."

"But… why make me forget? I was _loyal_. I would never have betrayed his confidence."

"And yet, all the evidence suggests it happened regardless," Kevin points out. "And whatever it was, it must have been huge to be covered up like this."

"I… I know," Andrew manages, shakily. "I have no idea what it was, though. I swear to you."

"You had better not be lying, squishy mortal," Azatothoth tells him, before finally letting go of the man's shoulders.

Andrew breathes out. "…I'm glad I don't know, though," he says, regaining himself a little. "Because now I can't help you."

Without a word, Azatothoth takes hold of Andrew by the back of his jumpsuit and lifts him three feet off his chair, which provokes a very significant squeak, followed by a high-pitched, "Kevin! Call the demon off at once!"

Kevin folds his arms. "Azzie, put the nice man down."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes. Yes, you have to."

Azatothoth sighs, which sounds like someone pouring gravel over concrete. "Fine," he says, and drops Andrew back into his chair rather roughly. Somehow, the man manages to start scowling again almost immediately, though the worry in his eyes is clear.

"Look," he says, half-resigned and half-alarmed, "there's… there's _one_ thing I can tell you. One small thing. If I tell you, will you go away?"

"That depends on what it is," Cecil replies.

"It's just an image," Andrew goes on. "I told you I don't remember anything about that day, and it's true. I don't remember anything… _except_ a single flash of something."

Cecil gives him a long, careful stare, and then looks over at Kevin again. "Is that possible?" he asks, though he already knows the answer. "For someone who's been re-educated?"

Kevin nods. "Yes," he replies, with an edge to his voice that worries Cecil to no end. "It's possible. It would only be the barest flicker… but it's possible."

The truth is, Cecil knows Kevin has flickers like that. He knows they're only flickers, but at the same time, he's never dared ask anything further. Not when the answer might be more than his double can take.

"Go on, then," he says, instead, to Andrew. "Tell us."

Andrew looks like he doesn't want to answer, despite having offered, and at the same time like he _doesn't_ want to answer, because it frightens him. "A gate," he says. "I have a flash of a single image: a metal gate, taller than a person, with stone gateposts either side. I see it in a sea of blackness… and I can't see what's beyond it. Just more darkness."

The snark has dropped out of Andrew's voice now, and he's obviously caught in the mental image. After a moment, he seems to snap out of it, and scowls again. "So… there you go. That's all I remember. Happy now?"

" _Euphoric_ , mortal," Azatothoth rumbles, which makes Andrew jump a little.

"Quite," Cecil concurs, dryly. "Well, Andrew, I'd like to say this has been a pleasure, but my mother always taught me that it's wrong to lie. So I'll just say goodbye, with the proviso that, if it turns out you're lying to us, we'll be back. And you don't want that."

"You _really_ don't," Kevin adds, for effect.

Andrew keeps on scowling. "I really don't," he agrees.

***

By the time Cecil and Kevin get outside the prison again, Azatothoth has returned to the Fourth Infernal Plane, leaving the two doubles alone.

"That went… about as well as I expected," Kevin says, as they're walking back to their car.

"I don't know how you worked alongside that guy for so long," Cecil manages.

Kevin shrugs. "I was mind-controlled most of the time," he points out. "It made things easier. Plus, he was scared of me. I mean, he still is, but he knows it'd be harder for me to do anything to him now. Whereas, back then…"

He trails off, and Cecil immediately puts an arm around his waist. "I'm sorry you keep having to think about those days," he says. "I know it isn't good for you."

"It's OK," Kevin replies, leaning in. "It… Yes, it isn't easy, but those days are gone, and I have you and Carlos. So it's OK. And… I know I shouldn't have been thinking this, but you were _really_ hot when you got all scary in there. As in, it was a little hard to focus."

Cecil can't help a smile. "I'm glad you approve. It was all for effect, of course…"

"Of course," Kevin echoes. " _Except_ that some of the time you were trying to defend me."

"…Was I that obvious?" Cecil says.

Kevin grips his hand tight. "Yes. And I'm touched. It's… you know, good, to be taken care of like that. And hey, if you ever feel like going all-out and taking over the world, you've certainly got the presence for it…"

"You're wicked sometimes, you know that?"

"I do," Kevin answers, easily. "And you love it. And _I_ love it when it encourages you…"

They're back at the car now, which means that Cecil can gently push Kevin against it, kissing him quick and firm. "Maybe I should take you home and show you what happens when you encourage me," Cecil suggests, letting his voice slip lower with promise.

Kevin gives a delicious little shiver. "Maybe you should," he agrees.

The flirting is nice. It's always nice, of course, but right now Cecil knows Kevin still needs distracting, so it's especially helpful. And, sooner or later, they'll have to talk about what Andrew said… or, more accurately, didn't say. Because now, they're back at square one, with no further clues as to what's going on.

Except… that it apparently involves a gate. Or… gates?

But what that means, Cecil has no idea.

***

They head home. By the time they get back, it's late afternoon, and as they pull up at their house, they can see Carlos' car already parked outside. And that's good, because it means they can do their sensible discussion thing first, and then both Cecil and Carlos can spend the rest of the evening helping Kevin not think about all the bad memories today has dredged up.

"Hey, Carlos," Cecil calls, as the two doubles walk into the house. "We're home."

There's no answer, though this in itself isn't particularly unusual, as sometimes Carlos gets _very_ engrossed in science. So Cecil paces over to the door leading into their brilliant husband's home-lab, peering inside.

"Carlos?" he says, but there's still no answer, and Carlos isn't anywhere to be seen.

"That's odd," Kevin remarks, having just been to check the bedroom, where Carlos apparently also isn't. "He must have gotten home because his car's outside. Maybe he went out for groceries? We are a little low on milk…"

"I'll give him a quick call," Cecil says, pulling out his phone and speed-dialling Carlos.

There's a moment's pause, and then they hear Carlos' phone ringing from somewhere inside the house. The instant they do, both doubles look at each other, and it's clear they're both thinking the same thing.

And it isn't good. Cecil's heart is racing in his chest as he follows the sound back into Carlos' lab. He'd only peered in through the door before, but now he walks all the way in, and as he does he feels his stomach lurch in soul-deep horror when he sees the sight that's waiting for them.

Beyond one of the benches, out of sight of the door but impossible to miss now, there's broken glass all over the floor, and one of the lab stools is lying on its side. And, close by, ringing unanswered in the otherwise silent room, is Carlos' cellphone.

The horror dials up even higher. Following right behind Cecil, Kevin sees the scene seconds later, and promptly curses out loud in at least three languages, hand on the hilt of his knife.

"Someone's taken him," he gasps, when Cecil still can't speak. "Someone's taken our Carlos. They've… He's…"

Seemingly unable to keep still, Kevin paces away, and then back again, and then he slaps both hands down on one of the lab benches, clearly needing some grounding for the horrified energy.

"…Who would do this?" Cecil finally manages, mind racing, not knowing what to do. "Who would..? I… wait… wait… those people. Those people at the Homecoming game. The ones you said were from the Coven of the Sun. You think they..?"

Kevin looks over at him, eyes hollow. "Yes," he says. "I think they'd do something like this. And it can't have been the strangers, because I've got the whole house warded against them now, so unless we have _another_ enemy we don't know about…"

"But why?" Cecil asks. He feels suddenly lost, and he still doesn't know how to process any of this; too caught in the horror of their Carlos being kidnapped from inside their own house. "Why would they..?"

"Why not?" Kevin counters. "If they're the last remnants of the Coven of the Sun, then we destroyed nigh-on everything they believe in. We took down Strex, took down the Management Board… of course they'd want to hurt us…"

"They'll…" Cecil starts out, but the question he wants to ask is so horrifying that the words just won't come.

"…They'll keep him alive," Kevin says, softly, and clearly understanding. Though Cecil wonders if Kevin really thinks that, or if he's just saying it to stop them both losing it completely. "There's no sign of any blood here. They took him for a reason."

"But… but what?"

Kevin paces over to Cecil at that, and they both pull each other into a tight, desperate hug; neither one letting go. "I don't know," Kevin answers. "But we'll find him. We'll find _them_. And then I will _make them pay_."

"We both will," Cecil says, feeling the power thundering in his blood again. "I promise you."

For a long, long moment, they stay wrapped together like that, and Cecil can feel just how much Kevin is shaking. When they finally break apart, there's fresh determination on the other man's face, and Cecil is especially glad about that because right now he feels totally lost.

"I need to summon Azzie again," Kevin says. "He can make enquiries on the Infernal Planes. He can find out if Carlos has been taken there."

"You think that's likely?"

"I don't know. I don't know. I just…" Kevin looks down. "What if Lauren is involved in this? First Aidan Outteridge goes missing, and now Carlos, and then there's members of the Coven of the Sun attacking people in public…"

"Say the word and I'll open a planar gateway right now," Cecil tells him, not bothering to keep a slight glow from his hands as he does. "We can march right into her realm and demand answers."

But Kevin shakes his head. "No," he says. "If Lauren _isn't_ involved, that will just stir up more trouble. I'd rather have Azzie make some enquiries first, because there _will_ be consequences if the most powerful human alive essentially invades the First Infernal Plane on a hunch."

"…Not if they deserve it," Cecil replies, a little darkly, and Kevin grips his hands.

"We have to be careful," he says, and it's only when Cecil hears the words that he realises just how reckless his mind is feeling right now. How ready to do things he knows he shouldn't. "The chances are high that Carlos is still on this plane, and that the people who took him will make contact. We have to play this carefully. But… that doesn't mean we can't get Azzie to make some subtle enquiries at the same time."

'Subtle enquiries' probably means holding more people upside-down by their ankles, but Cecil is not in the mood to argue right now. He nods. "All right," he says.

And, half-numb with horror and half-overwrought with ungrounded anger, Cecil follows Kevin out to the back garden, and watches as his double performs the ritual to summon Azatothoth the Bloodthirsty. As the chant comes to its end, there's a flash of unholy light, and the demon himself appears as his summoning circle fades away amidst the grass.

"…Kevin?" Azatothoth says, with a stretch of his wings. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon. Do you need me to hold the puny mortal upside down some more?"

"No," Kevin answers, quickly, and his tone makes Azatothoth visibly double-take, staring at him in what Cecil is sure the demon would strenuously deny is concern. "No. We have a different problem. Carlos has been kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" Azatothoth repeats, now sounding genuinely angered. "Who would _dare_ touch a husband of _my_ summoner?"

"We don't know," Kevin tells him. "But… there's members of the Coven of the Sun in town. They attacked a football game yesterday. And… and we think they might have Carlos."

"I will _rend_ them," the demon growls. "What do you need me to do? Rip the town apart until I find him? Because I _will_."

"I know you will," Kevin replies. "But I need you to make enquiries on the Infernal Planes. Use all those contacts you have. Find out if someone there has him."

"…By 'someone', do you mean 'Lauren'?" Azatothoth asks, carefully.

Kevin nods. "Yes. Or someone else. But… Azzie… I…"

He's clearly starting to fall to pieces from the horror as his mind catches up with him. Having already gone through this part, Cecil tries to help; stepping up behind Kevin and wrapping both arms around his waist, holding on tight. "Find him, Azatothoth," he says, and the demon gives a small bow.

"I'll do my utmost," he replies. "Summon me again in a day. _Either_ of you. I'll tell you all I can."

Cecil nods. "Thank you."

And Azatothoth the Bloodthirsty disappears once more, in another burst of unholy light. The second he's gone, Kevin all but falls to his knees, and only Cecil's arms around him keep him from hitting the ground hard.

"How did this happen?" Kevin gasps. "I… Cecil… how did this happen?"

"I don't know," Cecil replies. "But we'll find him, I promise you. He's _ours_. And… and we need to make a call now. We need to get help on _this_ plane."

"Who?" Kevin asks. "You seriously think the Secret Police will–?"

"Not the Secret Police," Cecil interjects. "The vague-yet-menacing government agency."

"The… but… _oh_ ," Kevin manages, as his mind catches up with where Cecil's has gone. "Tomas. You mean Tomas."

"Yes," Cecil replies. "When you want to find someone who's gone missing, who better to call but their super-spy twin brother?"

"…Yes," Kevin agrees, though he still sounds like he's falling apart. "You're right."

Now they just have to hope that Tomas really can help, because the alternatives don't bear thinking about.

And, through the bushes, from the garden of the house next door… another stranger is watching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I realise I am evil. If you've gotten this far, you're probably not surprised.
> 
> Enjoy the cliffhanger! And... see you all soon... ;-)


	5. The Investigators

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Time for another chapter of this one, in which...
> 
> ...y'know, you should probably just find out. Needless to say, everything happens so much...

Still reeling from Carlos' disappearance, Cecil and Kevin head back inside the house, and then Cecil pulls out his phone, calling Tomas' main number and putting the phone on speaker, so Kevin can hear too.

They just have to hope Tomas is still using this number. It's the one he keeps for non-agency business – meaning he's less likely to have to burn it – but it's been changed at least three times since he became a part of their lives, so the concern is justified.

Mercifully, the call is answered after only a few rings. "Hello?" comes Tomas' voice.

"Tomas, it's Cecil, and Kevin's here too," Cecil starts out. "We need your help."

"What's happened?" Tomas asks at once; obviously all-business as soon as he picks up on Cecil's tone.

"Carlos has been kidnapped," Cecil says. "We need you to help us find him."

" _Madre de Dios_ ," Tomas murmurs, sounding alarmed. "OK, don't say anything else over the phone. I'll be there within the hour."

Kevin looks surprised. "That's fast," he remarks.

"I'm… already in the area," is all Tomas will say in response. "Sit tight, and don't agree to any demands if the kidnappers make contact. I'll see you soon."

***

All they can do is wait.

It's unspeakably awful. Cecil and Kevin spend most of the time curled in a tight tangle on the couch, saying very little, and staring at their cellphones which sit, side-by-side, on the table nearby.

It's hard to say which is worse: the possibility that one of them might ring, or the fact that neither ever does.

Cecil's mind keeps going through very distinct phases. First, he feels horrified, and unable to shake the thoughts about what might be happening to Carlos. Then, the anger rises up – borne on waves of the power still thrumming in his blood – and he can almost see himself pulling the world apart to get to their husband. And then he feels power _less_ , because he knows what would happen if he did something like that.

And the phases repeat, over and over, accompanied by a constant inability to work out what to say; hence the heavy and prolonged silences. It's almost a mercy when they hear a knock at the door, even though it could just as easily be an enemy as a friend.

Kevin draws his knife as they stand. "If it's not Tomas, or someone else we know, run," he says. "I'll hold them off."

"I am _not_ leaving you," Cecil insists.

But hopefully it won't come to that. They both go to the front door, and Kevin carefully cracks it open; knife out of sight but at the ready.

And then he exhales, opening the door wider so that Cecil can see, standing on the front step, Tomas; Carlos' twin brother.

"There you are," Kevin says. "Come in, quick."

He slips his knife away again and they head inside, closing the door hurriedly once more. And then Tomas immediately grabs hold of them both, hugging them tight. "Tell me everything," he says, urgently, and more serious than Cecil has ever seen him.

So they go back through to the living room, and between them, Cecil and Kevin quickly explain what's been happening for the last few days: from the weird billboards, to the strangers, to the Homecoming game and the Coven of the Sun, and the mysterious meeting that Derek Hartley had twenty-one years ago.

And, finally, to the moment they'd come home and realised Carlos was missing.

"All right," Tomas says, "here's what's going to happen next. I'm going to make some calls and get hold of as much surveillance footage as I can, and see if any of our other assets in the city are aware of any potentially-related suspicious activity. And much as you'll hate not being involved, I need you to just let me do it, because otherwise you'll see way too much behind the agency's curtain and that will just cause problems later when my bosses find out. Trust me, OK?"

"We do," Cecil insists. "We wouldn't have called you otherwise."

Despite everything, Tomas smiles at this. "We'll get him back, I promise you. Does anyone else know what's happened?"

"Just Azatothoth the Bloodthirsty," Kevin replies. "I sent him off to make enquiries on the Infernal Planes, in case whoever did this took Carlos there."

Tomas nods. "All right. We need to keep control of this, so we need to limit who knows what's going on. I'm assuming Carlos won't be missed by his team until tomorrow morning?"

"I don't think so," Cecil says. "But then they _will_ ask questions, and… oh. Oh. Wait."

"…Tomorrow's Liberation Day," Kevin says, softly; his mind obviously going in the same direction. "We're all supposed to be heading to Desert Bluffs for the celebration. But… I mean… we can't."

Tomas looks grave. "No, you can't," he agrees. "Though I do realise you're going to need to tell Naomi Hartley what's going on."

Kevin gives him a very careful look at this. "You don't trust her?"

"I trust her and Darla completely," Tomas clarifies, quickly. "But I don't trust every single person left in Strexcorp. I know they're supposedly on the side of good now, but all it takes is one sleeper agent to compromise the whole network."

The trouble is, he's not wrong, and Kevin clearly knows it. "I realise that," he says, softly. "And I agree. I'll ask her to make discreet enquiries."

Tomas nods. "OK. And I'm going to need to borrow Frederick."

Both doubles now stare at him in surprise. "Frederick?" Cecil repeats. "As in, death-ray-Frederick?"

Tomas smiles. "Yep. That's the one."

"…Why?" Kevin has to ask.

"To help," Tomas replies, brightly. "Plus, he's good at making me focus my mind."

Also, Tomas and Frederick have some kind of thing going on, though Cecil doesn't say as much because they have bigger things to deal with right now.

"We'll find him," Tomas adds, putting a hand on each of them. "I promise you. We'll find him."

***

Frederick the scientist turns up not long after. He's one of the core members of Carlos' team, a leading expert on mystical rocks, and an aficionado of the death ray. Or, more specifically, of building them when Carlos isn't looking and then insisting they're a good idea.

Much like Tomas, Frederick seems unusually serious when he arrives – with a rather ominous black crate in tow – and hugs both Cecil and Kevin before asking where Tomas is.

"He's set up in the lab," Kevin explains, as they lead the way through to the living room and gesture down to the door in question. "Said he needed somewhere private to make calls."

"All right," Frederick says, "sit tight, you two. We got this!"

And he hurries off to join Tomas, dragging the crate with him.

"…Those two are weirdly perfect for each other," Cecil manages, despite everything.

"You're not wrong," Kevin agrees. "Now… I'd better call Naomi."

But he's barely had a chance to speed-dial before there's another knock at the door.

"I'll go," Cecil says. "You talk to her."

And so, leaving Kevin in the living room, he heads back through to the hall and slowly opens the front door; braced to react if there's someone bad on the other side.

"Cecil, it is I."

"…Sheriff Sam? What are you doing here?"

The Sheriff of Night Vale gives him a very flat look. "You know perfectly well why I'm here, Cecil. Your non-identical husband has been kidnapped."

" _Cecil_ ," he corrects, automatically. "And… you know about that?"

Sam rolls their eyes. "Of _course_ I know. I'm the Sheriff. I know everything that happens in this town."

"So… do you know who took Carlos?"

"…No," Sam admits. "But we know that _someone_ did. I have my people making enquiries now."

"We're doing the same," Cecil replies. "Do you… want to come in?"

"I have no time for idle chit-chat," Sam says. "And I would prefer to avoid unnecessary contact with operatives of… _that_ agency."

"You mean Tomas?"

"Indeed. See to it that he behaves himself whilst in _my_ town."

"Uh… sure," Cecil agrees, despite the fact that Tomas has always been something of a force of nature. "So… why are you here?"

"To let you know that the Secret Police are _on the case_ ," Sam reiterates, as if this should be obvious. Which, OK, it is, but somehow saying it seems weirdly redundant. "And that you shouldn't worry."

Currently, all Cecil _can_ do is worry. But he manages a nod. "All right. We'll… let you know if we find anything."

"Jolly good, jolly good," Sam says, briskly. "Have a pleasant afternoon."

And, with a nod, they turn and head off, leaving Cecil staring after them in confusion.

"Who was that?" Kevin asks, as Cecil heads back into the living room.

"Sheriff Sam," Cecil replies. "I'm not sure why they were here. They said they knew Carlos is missing and they're looking for him, but…" He sighs. "Sometimes it's best not to question the Secret Police. Did you get through to Naomi?"

Kevin nods. "I did. She's going to make enquiries. See if anyone in Strex has been acting suspicious. But… I don't think it's going to help."

He sits back down on the closest couch, staring at the floor. "This isn't going to be someone in Strex. Or someone the Secret Police can find. This is people who are already off the grid; who've been in hiding for months."

Cecil sits next to him, sliding an arm around his double's waist and pulling him in close. "I know," he replies. "Which is why we called Tomas first. If anyone can find Carlos, he can."

There's a long, heavy silence, which seems all the worse for the unspoken words it contains.

"…I'm scared," Kevin whispers, very softly; like he doesn't quite dare admit it but also can't quite stop himself. "Scared for Carlos. For what they might do to him. I…"

He trails off, still not looking up, and Cecil tightens his arm around Kevin's waist. "I know," he says. "I know. I feel…"

'Scared too'. That's what Cecil knows he should say. And it's true, he _is_ scared. But it isn't the strongest emotion he's feeling, and _that_ is more worrying.

"… _angry_ ," he admits, finally. "My blood is _burning_ with the need to act, and I don't know what to do. Or how to focus it. Or… what might happen if I give in to it. Or…"

Kevin looks up at that, turning to put a hand on the side of Cecil's face. "I understand," he says, still so very softly, but the look in his eyes is focused and deathly serious. "I do. I may not be as powerful as you, but I still feel it… the _weight_ of what I can do. The knowledge of what I'm capable of. The… _viscerality_ of what I'll do if they hurt him…"

Something about that hits Cecil hard: not because it scares him, but because he realises he feels it too. Because he knows he's right on some kind of mental edge, and a push in the wrong direction could be…

…don't think it…

"I know," Cecil whispers. "Part of me wants to raise near-literal hell right this moment, and… and…"

It's only now that Cecil realises he's shaking; hands tightening over and over with the need to act. Kevin clearly realises it too, because at this point he pulls out of the embrace and slips down onto his knees at Cecil's feet.

" _I know_ ," he echoes, urgently; taking both of Cecil's hands in his own and kissing his knuckles. "Sweetheart, I know. But I need you to stay here… not just physically but _emotionally_. You're a good person. Hold onto that."

This is not the first time they've had a conversation along these lines, but it _is_ the first time it's been Kevin telling Cecil, not the other way around. And that's… unsettling.

"I swore to protect you both," Cecil says, not quite able to meet Kevin's eyes now. "I swore I'd keep you safe. And… and I'm supposed to be powerful. I'm supposed to be the most powerful human alive. So why do I feel so _powerless?_ "

Kevin leans in closer, keeping Cecil's hands held in one of his own and resting the other on his double's cheek again. "We're going to get him back," he says, soft but fierce. "We _will_. And then we can deal with the rest on our own terms. And I am _not_ going to let you lose yourself in this. I'm not. You've pulled me back from the edge more than once, so it's time I returned the favour."

Cecil's heart aches at that. "I don't know what I did to deserve you," he manages, quietly.

Kevin meets his eyes, utterly serious. "You saved me more times than I can count," he replies, just as quietly. "Every day, in the beginning. And we _will_ save Carlos. We will."

Somehow, it seems more believable coming from Kevin, and Cecil tries to take comfort in that… as much as is possible, at least.

"We'll be each other's anchor," Kevin says. "You for me, and me for you. We'll keep each other grounded. And… that's how we'll get through this. We can. We will."

They have to.

***

It's late.

Cecil is tired, but at the same time he has no idea how he could possibly sleep. He and Kevin have spent most of the evening in the living room, curled up on the couch; neither one able to do much of anything. It's like being the centre of a storm: surrounded by turbulence on all sides, yet caught in strange stillness.

Which means they both jump when the door to the lab opens suddenly and Frederick comes hurrying through, looking weirdly serious.

"You… better come see this," he manages.

Cecil's stomach lurches at the other man's tone. "Is it..?" he tries, but the words won't come. "Is he..?"

"Just come and see," Frederick says.

The two doubles scramble to their feet, and follow Frederick through into the lab. Although, it looks more like some kind of tech hub now: the mysterious black crate clearly having contained at least five laptops and a great many wires, which are now strewn all over the central workbenches. The blinds are closed, and there's what looks like some sort of transmitter balanced close by, beeping softly every now and then.

Tomas is seated in the midst of it all, and like Frederick he has a weirdly serious expression on his face. And it isn't an "I'm searching for my kidnapped twin" expression. It's a "we found something shocking" expression, and Cecil is acutely aware that, between them, Tomas and Frederick count as two of the hardest people to shock in the whole world.

"Come in," Tomas insists. "I've hidden everything you can't see. And this… this you _need_ to see."

He gestures them closer, and Cecil grips Kevin's hand as they move to where they can look at the central laptop screen. On it, there's a shot from some kind of surveillance video, currently paused.

"OK, so, we managed to get a grainy picture of a van leaving your street around the time we think Carlos was taken," Tomas starts out. "We knew whoever did it is darn good because they kept their face hidden from every camera, including several that the Secret Police won't even admit to. And those guys will admit to having a _lot_ of cameras. But we'd gotten enough to track the van's progress, and eventually we put together a map of the route they took out of town. But every single second of surveillance footage from that route is useless. The cameras were either taken out, or the person kept their face hidden, and the van's license plates are forged so we have no idea who it belongs to."

Cecil can hardly breathe. "So… so what is it we need to see?" he asks, shakily.

"Well," Tomas goes on, "I got in touch with one of my sources in town. Someone… very deep-cover. And they had footage from a couple of cameras that no one knows about. Not the Secret Police, not even the agency. And certainly not the kidnapper. Which means they didn't know to hide from it. Which means… I have them on tape."

"Who is it?" Kevin asks. "Tell us. Who did this?"

Tomas looks at them, and then gives a little sigh. "Just brace yourselves," he says.

And he hits play on the paused footage. For a moment, it's just shots of an intersection on the edge of town, with the occasional car driving along it. Then the lights turn red, and the next vehicle has to stop.

And as it does, the world seems to stop along with it. Cecil can't breathe. And Kevin… Kevin mutters something in Linear-B that does _not_ sound pleasant. Tomas hits pause after a few seconds, and they stare at the image on the screen: an unmarked black van, with the driver clearly visible in the front.

It's Hunter Palmer. Cecil's brother.

"…What?" he manages, after a long and heavy moment. "No. No. That's impossible. Why would he… why would Hunter abduct Carlos?"

Even as he speaks, Cecil feels Kevin let go of his hand and take a step away, and his chest aches harder because he instantly worries that Kevin will blame him for this; that maybe it's somehow his fault, that… that…

"Cecil," Tomas says, still so very softly, though his eyes are on Kevin as he does. "That man is not Hunter Palmer."

Cecil jumps, mind reeling, and vaguely aware that the shock is making him miss something huge. "It… it isn't?" he manages. "How do you know?"

"I know because I've been in Nebolgorod for the last week," Tomas replies. "On agency business. Long story, I'll explain later. But I was there, and without going into detail, I can swear to you that Hunter Palmer was not on the surface when this footage was taken. He was in Nebolgorod, in a very important meeting whose attendees included me. Your brother is not involved in this."

Whilst these words are in themselves a great relief, Cecil doesn't feel any of it because this is when his mind catches up with what's happening… and he understands why Kevin just stepped away. Why he's now standing a few metres off, arms wrapped around himself, not looking at them.

"Then… then…" Cecil manages, trying to say it. "Then that's…"

"…that's Hunter's double," Kevin finishes, voice totally flat, not turning.

The whole world seems to stop all over again. Since Cecil discovered he had a long-lost older brother who had been erased from everyone's memories at the age of eighteen, he's been aware that this might mean Kevin could _also_ have a long-lost older brother that no one remembers. But they've never really talked about it, and Cecil realises now that a significant portion of this was sheer denial on both their parts.

"Apparently I have a brother too," Kevin manages. "And he's evil. And… if you would excuse me, I need to summon Azzie and _tell him to go wild_..!"

He yanks his knife from its sheath and stalks out of the room, clearly out of his mind with shock. Trying to keep himself together, Cecil looks at Tomas. "Give me a minute," he implores, very quickly, before hurrying off after Kevin, leaving both Tomas and Frederick staring after him with concern on their faces.

Cecil catches up with Kevin in the living room, seizing his shoulders without even thinking about the knife in his hand. "Sweetheart," he urges, desperately. "Sweetheart, just take a breath, it's–"

But Kevin is clearly acting on instinct, because he whirls around at once, grabs hold of Cecil, and slams him into the nearest wall, knife to his throat. The fury of it comes as quite a shock, but luckily that means Cecil is too surprised to react and his mind doesn't catch up with him until he and Kevin are eye-to-eye, with the blade between them.

There's a second before the red mist clears, and then Kevin jumps back, expression flooded with horror. "Cecil," he gasps, stepping further away. "Cecil, I'm sorry, I didn't–"

Cecil doesn't even hesitate to move forward, grabbing hold of Kevin again and pulling him in tight, still not even _thinking_ about the knife in his hand. "It's all right," he insists, trying not to sound shaken. "It's all right. Just take a breath. Remember what you said before. We can do this if we're together. You're my anchor. And I'm yours."

"I just… Cecil… I… I should have done something. Should have tried to find him. Should have _realised_ , after you found Hunter, that… that…"

"We both should have," Cecil replies, very softly. "But we only found Hunter by accident. We both knew that, if you had a brother too…"

"…we'd never find him," Kevin breathes. "He could have been anywhere. Literally. And now… now it turns out he's here. And he took Carlos. And… and if we're right about the Coven of the Sun being behind this, that means he's with them."

"I know," Cecil answers. "And when we find them, when we rescue Carlos, we'll rescue your brother too."

"What if he doesn't want to be rescued?" Kevin gasps. "He did this. He wants this. He's… he's _with them_. What if we have to… to… what if _I_ have to..?"

He can't say the words, but Cecil understands.

_What if I have to kill him?_

"We'll find a way to save him," Cecil insists. "I promise you."

"We can't even _find_ him," Kevin whispers.

"We haven't found him _yet_. But we will."

"We will," comes Tomas' voice, from the doorway.

They both jump at that, and Cecil lets go of Kevin so they can turn to look in their brother-in-law's direction.

"But how?" Kevin asks, sounding like a man who is falling apart. 

"We know the direction that van was travelling," Tomas replies. "Which means it's likely they were heading to a location out in the desert. The sand wastes are absolutely _littered_ with secret facilities and supposedly-abandoned secret facilities. So we cross-reference everything in that search vector until we come up with the most likely target. Plus… you said when I first got here that you think this is the work of the Coven of the Sun?"

Kevin manages a nod. "Yes."

"All right. That means they're most likely in one of the old Strex facilities surrounding Desert Bluffs. I'll get in touch with Naomi Hartley, see if she's learned anything since you called before, and then get the details of every known facility on file. That will let us rule all of those out."

"Rule them out?" Cecil repeats, surprised.

"Yes," Tomas replies. "It won't be anywhere official. It will be a former Strex black site."

Kevin gives a little choke of horror, and Cecil has to grab his arm again. "You know where those are?"

Tomas shrugs. "I know where a lot of old Strex facilities are. But I don't know which ones are official. So this will help me rule those ones out."

"And… then?" Cecil asks.

"Then we rescue my brother," Tomas replies, and nods to Kevin. "And yours."

***

It's even later.

Cecil is aware of being utterly exhausted, but at the same time totally awake. He and Kevin have been sitting on the couch for what feels like hours; curled together but barely speaking. The few times Kevin _has_ spoken, he's just desperately apologised for what happened earlier, and no matter how many times Cecil insists that it's OK, he seems unable to let go of the guilt.

But Cecil understands that. They'd talked before about his own fears of losing control, of losing _himself_ because of all this, and he knows Kevin is upset because he feels like it nearly happened to him.

But it didn't. And it won't.

Cecil won't let it.

And then, just as he's wondering if they should force themselves to go to bed, the lab door bursts open and Frederick comes running out. He's covered in some light char-marks, but looks suddenly happy about something.

"We've got it," he exclaims, and then races back into the lab, leaving Cecil and Kevin to scramble hastily up, and follow.

Inside, it looks as though Frederick has been working on something at one of the spare lab benches – which hopefully explains the char-marks – but right now he's standing at Tomas' shoulder, hand on his arm, and both of them are clearly pleased about something.

"Have you found them?" Cecil asks.

Tomas nods. "We think so. I cross-checked my intel with what I got from Naomi, and I've narrowed the list of potential locations down to just one. I can't be certain, of course, but… I think this is it. There's a very old Strex black site right on the border between the land belonging to Night Vale, and the land belonging to Desert Bluffs. It's not listed in any of the official records, and even Naomi didn't know it exists. So there's a high probability that it's where the kidnappers are hiding out."

Renewed energy flares in Cecil's blood. "Then let's go," he says.

This gets him something of a look from Tomas. "We should probably come up with a plan," he suggests. "I realise you can do all kinds of science-defying things that make me _really_ want to do tests on you, but this is the kind of situation that requires absolute control, to make sure something _unexpected_ doesn't happen."

"So… so what, then?" Cecil asks, aware that Kevin has gone very quiet and painfully aware of why this is.

"Well," Tomas goes on, "for starters, we–"

He's cut-off by the sound of heavy knocking on the front door.

"…Who could that be at this hour?" Cecil wonders.

"Time to go find out…" Kevin murmurs, pacing off at once with his hand on the hilt of his knife.

Cecil rushes after him, but doesn't interfere; letting Kevin open the front door. There's a second's pause when Cecil can't see who's on the other side – and is mildly concerned Kevin might be about to go for them – and then his double opens the door wider, revealing…

"…Sheriff Sam?"

"Quite," they reply, dryly. "Good evening, Kevin. Cecil. May I come in?"

"Uh… sure," Kevin manages, clearly thrown, and he steps back to let the lawperson pace inside.

By the time they go back into the living room, Tomas and Frederick are already there, and Cecil can't help thinking that it's because Tomas wants to keep Sam away from all his laptops. And the secrets they contain.

Luckily, Sam seems content to stop in the living room. "Well, everyone, you can relax. We've tracked down your missing husband's location."

There's an awkward silence. "You… have?" Cecil manages. "How?"

Sam looks pleased with themself. "Easy. We simply tracked the number of interloper sightings in town over the last twenty-four hours and then vastly increased the helicopter presence in the relevant areas. It didn't take much more effort to locate a site out in the desert where we believe – with confidence – that the kidnappers took your husband."

"…On the border between the two towns, near a broad ridge?" Tomas says, keeping his expression level.

This gets him a sharp look. "Indeed," Sam replies. "How did you guess?"

"I just pinpointed the same thing. It's an old Strex black site. Off the books."

Sam gives a sage nod. "Yes, yes, we suspected as much. I have it under surveillance now but we haven't yet made a move. We…" and here the sheriff looks carefully at Cecil, "…suspected it might be wise to involve you. Due to your… _particularities_."

"You're right. We have to be the ones to do this," Cecil says, seizing the chance to keep control of the situation before the Secret Police get too involved.

"I concur," Sam replies. "Also, as the location is on land belonging to Desert Bluffs, it is _technically_ outside my jurisdiction. Of course, I could make an exception if necessary…"

"No, no," Cecil interjects, quickly. "We'll do this. Kevin and I. It'll be less conspicuous if it's just the two of us."

Sam gives another sage nod. "Agreed. I will have my people form a wide perimeter on the Night Vale side of the border, to catch anyone attempting to flee this way."

"Frederick and I will watch the other side," Tomas adds. "I don't have to worry about jurisdiction. Besides, Mayor McDaniels and I get on very well. We've had some productive meetings of late…"

This gets him odd looks from both Cecil and Kevin, but Tomas just gives an idle handwave. "Long story," he says, easily. "I'll explain later."

"We have to go _now_ ," Kevin cuts in, soft and serious, and Cecil can practically _hear_ the man going to the place in his head where he used to go a lot in the past. The place that is far from good. "We can't wait any longer. We have to get Carlos back, and find out… find out…"

"…find out why they took him," Cecil finishes, when Kevin can't quite.

"All right, then," Tomas says, brightly, with a clap of his hands. "Let's–"

He's cut off again by more heavy knocking from the front door, though this sounds much more frantic than before. Cecil turns at once, aware of everyone following him as he goes back through to the hall and – fully prepared to react if it's an enemy – carefully opens the door.

But what he finds on the other side of the door isn't an enemy, and it certainly isn't anyone he might have expected.

"Maureen?" Cecil exclaims, in surprise.

"Cecil!" Intern Maureen cries, sounding genuinely distraught. "Cecil, you've got to help me, I don't know what to do but I know you and Kevin know about this stuff so you might be able to do something and…"

"Whoa, slow down," Cecil says. "It's OK. What's happened?"

"The beagle," Maureen gasps. "My beagle. It… just… out of nowhere…"

"What did it do?"

"It killed Chad!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...OK, in my defence, that cliffhanger isn't as bad as last week's. Right?
> 
> ...guys? Guys?!
> 
> *goes to dig out the fluffy blanket and ice-cream again*


	6. A Memory Of Nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings once more, dear readers! I'm back, and...
> 
> ...OK, so I've had a rough plan for this chapter in my head for ages, and then last Sunday an idea hit me completely out of left-field that basically took over my mind, and I've spent the week pretty much unable to think about anything else!
> 
> I... should probably apologise for said idea at this point...

In the wake of Maureen's declaration, all Cecil can do is stare.

"It… killed Chad?" he repeats. "That adorable, perfect little ball of fluff and love..?"

"Uh, Cecil?" Kevin says, softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Remember what we said about that puppy?"

"…Oh," Cecil manages. "Yes. Right. Not an adorable, perfect little ball of fluff and love. Pure evil. Yes." He pauses. "Also, who is Chad?"

"He was one of your interns!" Maureen exclaims, now halfway between distraught and angry. "You sent him to investigate a sporting goods store that was a front for the World Government."

"Oh," Cecil says again, vaguely remembering. "Didn't he die?"

"No!" Maureen retorts. "He just disappeared for ages! And then… and then he came back, and…"

"Perhaps you should come in," Sam cuts across, pointedly. "And then you can explain."

Taking the hint, Cecil steps back to let Maureen inside. She seems more than a little surprised by the fact that the Sheriff is here, and then blinks in obvious confusion when she spots Tomas and processes that he isn't Carlos.

"…What's going on?" she manages.

"Carlos has been kidnapped," Cecil explains. "We were just about to set off to rescue him. But you need to tell us what's happened first."

He's never seen Maureen look like this, after all. And whatever is going on with the beagle, it might be connected. And… he's weirdly fond of Maureen, even though she shouts at him a lot.

"I… don't know what went wrong," Maureen starts off. "Chad… the beagle was actually his. Or, I thought it was. And we've been friends for a while now, and… I don't know how it happened. I don't. It just _went_ for him, with this roar that sounded _unearthly_ , and then… then he was dead, and I ran…"

"Where did the beagle come from?" Kevin asks, softly. "In the beginning. How did it end up with Chad?"

Cecil isn't quite sure why Kevin is asking this, but from the sudden look of renewed horror in Maureen's eyes, it's a very pertinent question.

"He… I… It…" she tries, but keeps falling silent every time.

"Maureen," Kevin says, his tone still careful, "you said you came here because Cecil and I _'know about this stuff'_. What did you mean by that?"

"He… Chad… he…" Maureen trails off again, though this time she manages to keep going after a moment. "He summoned it. Or… opened a gateway for it, or… something. I don't know. I wasn't there."

"Do you know how he did it?" Kevin goes on. "What he used? Any details of the ritual?"

"No… no," Maureen answers. "But… but he's got… he had… some stuff at his place. Stuff he might have used. I guess it would make more sense to you than it does to me."

Kevin nods. "Can you get hold of it?"

"I could try," Maureen says. "Except… I don't know if that beagle is still there, or…"

"I will accompany you," Sam cuts in, smoothly. "If there has been a murder in my town, it is the duty of the Secret Police to investigate it. I assume you four can handle this rescue on your own?"

"Absolutely," Kevin replies, in the voice of a man who is trying to sound determined, but who actually wants the law as far away from him as possible, in case he has to knife anyone.

Sam nods. "Very well. Maureen, please lead me to the murder site. I will protect you should any hostile parties present themself."

"All right," Maureen agrees, though she quickly looks back to Cecil and Kevin. "I'll see what I can find. And I'll bring it to you, when I can."

"Be safe," Cecil tells her.

Despite everything, Maureen gives a little shrug. "I'm a survivor," she says.

***

Once Maureen and Sam have departed, the rest of them make preparations to head out as well, and before long they've all climbed into Tomas' black SUV. Soon, their route takes them beyond the limits of the city, and the last lights of Night Vale fade into the distance as the darkness of the desert night overtakes.

Cecil keeps trying to talk, but he doesn't quite know what to say. He's out of his mind with worry about Carlos, and about Hunter's double, and on top of it all he's very rattled by what Maureen told them. And even knowing – thanks to Kevin's regular reminders – that the beagle is evil, it's still hard to imagine it _killing_ someone.

Up front, Tomas and Frederick are sitting side-by-side – Tomas driving and Frederick monitoring the satnav – and Cecil still doesn't know how they manage to look so calm. They're both dressed in all-black now, and something about that is weirdly adorable.

Eventually, they go off-road, and Tomas cuts the headlights. He seems completely unfazed about driving in the darkness, and before long he's pulled the car into the cover of a rocky outcrop.

"OK," he says, turning to look at Cecil and Kevin. "We're close. As close as I'd risk getting us in this thing. Frederick and I are going to set up on the ridge a little further along, and keep watch whilst you two get inside the facility. If you need backup, call us."

"Are you armed?" Kevin asks.

Frederick grins. "Sure I am!" he exclaims, brightly, and brandishes a weapon that looks like a prop from some kind of 80s sci-fi movie. "I managed to finish it off whilst Tomas was working. Don't tell Carlos I did it in his lab, or he'll get cross."

"…Is that a death ray?" Cecil has to ask.

This only makes Frederick grin more. "Yes! The death ray mark three! I wanted a compact version, so I've been working on a smaller power source. And now I have something I can carry around without difficulty. After all, a scientist is always armed!"

Sometimes it is wise to just smile and nod.

"Good luck in there," Tomas says, more seriously. "And the second you need backup, you call me."

Cecil nods, and then turns to meet Kevin's eyes.

"Let's do this," his double says.

***

The former Strex black site is a small concrete structure built in the shadow of a high, broad ridge. Although, according to Tomas, what they can see is actually just a small part of the complex, most of which is underground.

This alone is far too ominous for Cecil's taste.

"How do you want to do this?" Cecil asks Kevin, softly, as they make their way towards the entry point, trying to stay out of sight.

He knows Kevin has plenty of experience in this field, after all. And he didn't want to push for details before, because he could tell that Kevin was trying not to talk about it. Perhaps because of the memories it evokes.

"We get inside," Kevin says. "We find Carlos. And then we find out what he knows about Hunter's double. About… about my brother. And _then_ … then we face the coven."

"You think we can defeat them?"

"I know we can. I know _you_ can. The only catch is… is if they try to use my brother against me."

Cecil knows this. "And… if they do?"

"We protect Carlos," Kevin replies, flatly. "That's what matters. Anything else… anything else is secondary."

Cecil puts a hand on his arm. "We'll save your brother too."

Kevin looks down. "I want to," he says, and now the emotion is cracking into his voice. "Believe me, I want to. But… I know it might not be possible."

"We'll find a way," Cecil insists. "Even if we have to retreat and come back. We will."

"I know," Kevin replies, though he doesn't sound convinced. "Now… stay close to me. Tomas said this side-door would probably be unguarded, but there's no way to know for sure…"

They've come to the edge of the rocky cover now, and all that remains is a short walk over to the corner of the concrete structure. It has a main entrance way off to the side, but close by there's a second door. Its purpose – beyond the obvious – isn't clear, though given this site's former use, it's probably best not to think of the possibilities.

Kevin draws his knife, and the two of them head out into the open. Cecil is braced for things to go awry: to hear the sound of shouts or alarms, but there's only silence as they move towards the building.

"Ah, a bloodlock," Kevin says, wryly, as they reach the door. "Because I missed those."

He didn't. But he does apparently remember how to bypass one, as it only takes him a moment to do so, and then the door clicks open.

"Nicely done," Cecil tells him.

"Old habits," Kevin replies. "Follow me."

And, together, they head inside. Beyond the door, a long, dimly-lit passageway leads them deeper into the structure, which is composed of the same rough concrete inside as it is outside. There's no signs of life, and the air has a cold, artificial stillness to it.

"…Charming," Cecil manages.

"Could be worse," Kevin says, sounding like he's expecting just that. "These places… they weren't designed to be homey."

"You've… been to one before?"

"Several."

The question 'willingly or unwillingly?' hangs unspoken in the air, but Cecil can't quite give it voice, though he knows Kevin doesn't remember any potential _unwilling_ times. And clearly doesn't want to think about the willing ones.

They walk for several moments, along empty passageways. They pass doors every now and then, but each only leads to an abandoned office, with no signs of recent activity.

"If they're here, they're not using this part of the complex," Kevin says. "But it could be huge. We need to keep going."

Cecil certainly agrees, and on they go. And he's gotten so used to the idea of there being no one else around that, when they turn a corner and come face-to-face with two people in orange robes, he's taken quite by surprise.

Kevin, on the other hand, isn't, though mercifully the two people – a woman and a man – seem even more surprised than Cecil. They recover quickly, though, and both draw their knives.

"Who are you?" the man demands. "What are you doing here?"

Feet planted in a clear combat stance, Kevin points his knife at them, and – slipping into a strange but pleasing mental synergy – Cecil lets purple light start to glow from one hand.

They must make quite a sight. But then, that's the idea.

"We're Cecil and Kevin Palmer," Kevin declares, voice registering only unshakable confidence. "And we want our husband back."

The two orange-robed people stare at them in alarm, eyes going wide.

"It's them, you idiot!" the woman hisses at her companion. "We have to–"

Before anyone else can react, Cecil raises his hand and sends a burst of vivid purple light at the two coven members. It blasts them a good fifteen feet down the corridor, landing in a tangle of limbs and orange fabric, and more than a few muttered curses.

Kevin stares sideways at Cecil. "You know you make me want to jump you _all the time_?" he remarks.

Cecil shrugs. "What can I say? I learned from the best."

"I should probably deal with those two," Kevin adds, gesturing down at the two coven members, who have staggered to their feet and – against all common sense – are now charging back _towards_ the two doubles, instead of running for it.

"Probably," Cecil agrees.

So Kevin does. It's a while since Kevin has had cause to take someone on like this for real, and yet, from the way he moves, you'd think it was yesterday. The fight is brief, and decisive, and when it ends… the two coven members have been dispatched.

And Cecil does not feel quite as bad about this as perhaps he should.

"That was bracing," Kevin says. "Hopefully no one else overheard, or we'll be swarmed by more of them. Though you can probably just do that _thing_ you do again…"

"It does seem to help," Cecil replies. "Come on. If we're running into their people at last, we must be getting close."

And, judging by the increased signs of life as they keep walking, he's right. They don't run into anyone else, though, and it's just as Cecil is starting to wonder if they might have missed something that they pass a stairwell leading downwards.

"…There," Kevin says. "All of this is clearly the administrative level. Which means the detention facility is lower down."

A wave of renewed adrenaline hits Cecil at this; a realisation that Carlos could be very close by, and he nods. "Let's go," he agrees.

So they hurry down the stairs – Kevin leading the way – and step out onto another passageway that screams 'dark and ominous' so loudly, it could almost be literal. The walls are cold and damp; the brickwork cracked, and the doors – of which there are many – are now heavy-set and metal, with broad bolts to hold them shut.

The mere _thought_ of Carlos being here is horrifying.

There's no one around, though, so Kevin gestures to the doors. "We need to start checking them," he says, voice hollow. "Stay together. We don't know what else might be down here."

He steps up to the first door – Cecil close by – and slides back the bolt to open it. Beyond is a dark and ominous cell, though it's completely empty.

"Try another," Cecil says, and only now does he realise his voice is shaking a little.

They move to the next door, and open it up, but the cell beyond is as empty as the first. So is the next, and the next, and the next, and with every empty cell, Cecil feels the horror in his chest increasing all the more.

And then they reach the final door. Kevin puts his hand on the bolt, hesitating a second.

" _Please_ ," he whispers. " _Please_."

He slides the bolt back with a thunk, pushing the door open… and both men freeze at the sight on the far side. The cell beyond is just like all the others, except that it isn't empty. Carlos is here, in the centre of the room, arms chained together above him and obviously holding most of his weight. His head is down, and it's clear – even from a distance – that he's been quite comprehensively roughed-up.

Kevin curses out loud, slipping his knife away and racing into the room with Cecil right behind him, the horror and the _rage_ burning in his blood like never before.

"Carlos!" Kevin gasps, grabbing hold of him and putting a hand on his jaw to lift his head. "Carlos, can you hear me?"

The other man seems to jump a mile, gasping in very genuine fear and actually trying to back away from them both, even though he can't move more than the slightest amount given the way he's chained.

"Carlos," Cecil says, urgently, "it's OK, I promise you, we're here now. Just hold on, just hold on, you're going to be all right…"

He and Kevin both reach up to unlatch the chains around Carlos' wrists, trying to keep him supported at the same time so he doesn't fall once he's freed. And, whilst it's clear he can barely stand, he reacts the second he has his footing: breaking out of their grip and backing away from them with horror in his eyes.

Part of Cecil's mind processes that something is terribly, terribly wrong, but the rest of him hasn't quite got there yet.

"W-what do you want?" Carlos exclaims, holding his hands up whilst backing further away.

"Carlos, it's us, we're here to get you out," Kevin says, moving closer to him again. By this point, Carlos has backed himself into the wall, and as both Cecil and Kevin step up to him, hands on his arms and trying to soothe him, it's blatantly obvious that he's terrified of them.

"Who are you?" Carlos gasps, staring between the two doubles. "I don't… I don't know who you are, or what you want, but _please_ , please just leave me alone, I…"

Cecil stops dead, at exactly the same moment Kevin does.

"Carlos," Cecil breathes, his voice wracked with the pain of what he's still not quite processing. "You… you don't know who we are?"

"No," Carlos replies. "I've n-never seen you before, but… but… you can tell that awful woman that whatever she wants, I won't do it and… and…"

" _Sweetheart_ ," Kevin gasps, and – masters of us all – he sounds like he's about to break down. "We're not going to hurt you. We're here to save you."

"You're…" Carlos starts out, but it's clear he's processed the words this time and they stop him in his tracks. "You… you know me?"

"Of course we know you," Kevin says, desperately. "We're your _husbands_."

Carlos' eyes go wide. "My… my… but I'm not…"

"…Look at your hand," Cecil urges, suddenly realising. "Your left hand. Look at the ring you're wearing."

"I'm not… I don't have… _oh_." Carlos stares at his hand in shock, and at the glinting band that – mercifully – is still there. "…I'm _married_?"

"Yes," Kevin says. "Yes. To us."

And they both hold up their hands, to show their own matching rings. Carlos stares at them for a long moment, still shaking from head to toe, but his breathing is gradually getting slower.

"…Then… then why don't I remember?" he asks, finally.

"I don't know," Kevin replies. "What _do_ you remember?"

"Well, I… I thought I remembered everything," Carlos answers. He's still watching them cautiously, but he's stopped trying to break away from them now. "I know who I am, and who my family are, and I know science, and…"

"Hold on," Kevin interjects, softly. "Hold on. What year do you think it is?"

Carlos blinks at him. "It's 2011. March 2011."

Hearing these words is like being hit with a sledgehammer. In the chest. Whilst on fire.

"Carlos," Cecil breathes, "it's June 2016."

"…Wait, what? No. No. That's impossible. How could I lose nearly five and a half years?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Kevin asks.

"I… I was at home," Carlos starts out. "It was late, and I'd just finished replying to an email from this odd company called Strexcorp, based in a town called Desert Bluffs that I'd never heard of. They'd offered me a job, and I accepted, and then… I remember going to bed, and the next thing I knew, I was here, and that awful woman was threatening me, and that guy too, and… and how can it be 2016? I don't… I don't understand, it's not scientifically possible…"

"Your memories have been altered," Kevin says, softly. "To make you forget. To… make you forget _us_."

"Is… is it permanent?" Cecil asks, the horror almost too much to bear.

"I don't know," Kevin admits. "But… I don't think so. You _can_ wipe a person's memories permanently – that's part of how re-education works – but it takes days just to blank out a small part. In the time they've had him, they wouldn't have been able to make Carlos forget more than the last day or two at most. No… no, I don't think his memories are gone. I think they're being blocked."

"So… we can undo it?" Cecil pushes. Needing to hear it. Needing to know that Carlos hasn't lost all memory of his entire life with them.

Kevin nods. "I think so. I don't know how… but it must be possible."

Carlos is still staring between the two of them. "…How did I end up married to twins?" he asks.

"We're not twins," Kevin replies. "We're doubles. We're not related."

"But… I'm married? To… _both_ of you?"

"Yes," Cecil says, and cautiously reaches to touch Carlos' cheek, ever-so-gently. The contact makes the other man jump, his breath catching, but he doesn't try to pull away. "For just over three months now. And I promise you, I _promise_ you, we're going to get you out of here."

"…oh…" Carlos breathes, with a flicker of the same drawn look he used to have when they first started dating.

The urge to pull him right in and hold him tight is so very strong, but Cecil worries it will scare him. Even if Carlos believes everything they've told him, it doesn't change the fact that he doesn't remember them. That they're strangers.

But he's alive. And Kevin thinks his memories can be fixed. So… things are improving.

"What do we do now?" Cecil asks, looking at Kevin. He feels so thrown, so lost, and all he can think about is grabbing hold of Carlos and getting out of here as fast as they can. But he knows things aren't that simple.

"We find the rest of the coven," Kevin says, darkly. "And we make them pay for what they've done."

"And… your brother? And… oh, hold on, wait…"

The idea hits all at once, and Cecil pulls out his phone, going into the photos and flicking through until he finds one of Hunter. He turns the screen, showing it to Carlos.

"Have you seen someone who looks like this?" he asks.

Carlos' eyes go wide again. "Yes," he replies, and the renewed fear in his voice is all kinds of awful. "Yes. He's the one who gave me these bruises. Though it was that _woman_ who told him to do it. You… do you _know_ him?"

"Not exactly," Cecil answers. " _This_ man is my older brother, Hunter. We believe the man you saw is his double, Kevin's brother."

"…Wait, there are _more_ people with doubles?"

"Yes," Kevin says. "Two whole towns full. But this man… my brother… I didn't know he existed until today."

"…What _am_ I caught in the middle of?" Carlos manages.

"It's… a long story," Cecil tells him. "I promise, we'll explain as much as we can once we get out of here. But we have to try to find Kevin's brother first."

"There's a whole group of people here," Carlos says. "You're… well, you're outnumbered, and… and if I'm _married_ to you then I really don't want anything to happen to you, and I certainly don't want to end up stuck here, and…"

Sometimes visual evidence is better than verbal. Especially when you're dealing with a scientist. Cecil holds up his hand and lets purple light glow from it, which makes Carlos give a squeak of alarm followed by a telling gasp of interest.

"…OK, how are you doing that?" he manages.

"Cecil has awesome planar powers," Kevin says. "Emphasis on 'awesome'. And I can summon demons. Actual ones. For real. I figure it's best to tell you that up-front this time around. Plus I'm very good at knife-fighting."

"Basically speaking," Cecil adds, "we're not outnumbered by them. They're outnumbered by _us_."

"…Oh…" Carlos breathes, and there's that drawn look again.

Cecil lets the light fade, and then holds out his other hand. "I know you don't remember us," he says. "But I swear to you, we will protect you, no matter what."

Carlos stares between the two of them, and then, cautiously, he takes Cecil's hand. "All right," he says. "Then… lead the way."

Kevin steps back, and draws his knife. "Follow me."

***

Cecil's mind is still racing as they head out of the prison section and back up the stairs to the administrative floor.

On the one hand, Carlos is here, and he's alive, and that's more of a relief than there exist words to say. But, on the other, he has no memory of them, he's blatantly terrified, and judging by the cuts and bruises on his face and arms, he has _not_ been well-treated whilst he's been here.

And Kevin's brother might be the one responsible for that.

Cecil doesn't know what to do. And… he also _does_. And he's trying not to lose himself in that, because it's a path he doesn't want to walk down.

Once they're back on the upper floor, they carry on heading deeper into the complex, and it isn't long before they run into someone else: another woman, robed in orange.

"They're here!" she calls out. "They're here!"

And, before Cecil or Kevin can take action, she turns and bolts off down the passageway; barrelling through the double-doors at the far end and out of sight.

"…Yeah, they want us to go in there, don't they?" Kevin says, wryly.

"Yep," Cecil agrees. "You ready for this?"

Kevin nods. "As ready as I can be."

"What… what should I do?" Carlos asks, and Cecil's heart aches all over again to see the other man looking so lost.

"Stay close to me," he replies. "I'll protect you."

They approach the double-doors together, pausing a second.

"Whatever happens," Cecil says to Kevin, "remember that I've got your back. No matter what they tell us. No matter what we discover. I've got your back."

Despite everything, Kevin smiles. "I know," he answers, softly.

And, hesitating no longer, he reaches out and pushes the doors open, leading them into the room beyond. It's much larger than anywhere else in the complex that they've seen so far: a wide and rather imposing meeting hall, though any furniture is long gone. There are quite a number of people inside, forming a semicircle around half of the room, all facing the door.

"Well, well," says the woman in the centre of the group. She's robed in orange like the others, but wearing an elaborate headdress made out of high, broad antlers. There's a pendant hanging around her neck, golden and shaped like a stylised sun, and a similarly-golden dagger in her hand. "Kevin. It's been a while."

"Miriam," Kevin replies. "I should have guessed. You always were Susan's favourite."

"You know her?" Cecil says, though it's clear Kevin does.

He nods. "Oh yes. This is Miriam Lowell. She took over as leader of the Coven of the Sun after the last of the Five Founders died. Though the _official_ records state that Miriam was killed during the Battle of Night Vale."

"There's a lot of that around," Miriam answers, smoothly. "Needless to say, I'm not dead."

"Not yet," Kevin says, in the bright tone he used to favour when he was working for Strex.

Miriam smirks. "Besides, you're one to talk. I was Susan's favourite, but you were Derek's. The only difference is, _I_ was _loyal_."

"Miriam, I've had this conversation so many times, it doesn't affect me anymore," Kevin says. Which Cecil knows is not wholly true, but the effect is far less than it once was. "Strexcorp was evil. The Hartleys – aside from Naomi – were evil. I don't feel guilty about turning on them. They _deserved_ it."

"Oooh, fiery talk," Miriam throws back. "I wasn't sure if all that bluster you put on on the radio was just for show. Turns out you really _are_ still like this."

"Oh, I'm _much_ worse," Kevin replies, his voice dropping. "And if you and your little band of relics want to get out of here alive, I suggest you surrender, and _maybe_ I'll just have you all arrested."

"I don't think we'll be surrendering," Miriam declares, smoothly. "Not now, not ever. We're the Coven of the Sun; the chosen successors of Susan Hartley herself, and our victory is drawing closer by the day. Maybe _I'll_ let you live long enough to see it."

"I think you're forgetting something," Cecil cuts in.

Miriam gives him a very careful look. "And what would that be, Night Valean?"

" _Me_ ," Cecil says, finding the power deep inside and letting it flare all around him; filling the air with dancing purple shadows. It certainly elicits a few gasps and murmurs from the rest of the coven, though they stand their ground all the same.

"Oh, I haven't forgotten you at all," Miriam replies. "I'm well-aware of you, and your _powers_. And it's true, I can't do the things you can do. A battle on level grounds might not go my way. But that's why I was _smart_. That's why I had my people take your pretty little scientist and make him… well. I'm sure you know by now. Even if you all get out of here alive, you're going to waste _days_ trying to fix him… assuming you even manage to."

"You can _count on it_ ," Cecil insists, darkly.

"Can I, now?" Miriam retorts. "Well, then. Let's mix things up even more. Oh, Harper?" she calls out, glancing over her shoulder. "Come say hi…"

And another orange-robed figure steps into view, close to Miriam: a tall and rather thin man with blond hair, and a very familiar face: a face identical to Hunter Palmer's.

At Cecil's side, Kevin freezes.

"Hello, brother," says the newcomer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...so originally, the whole thing with Carlos losing his memory wasn't part of the plot, and I had something else planned that would facilitate where this thread of story is going. But, trust me, this is much better! Or... you know, it will be when I get to the part that _isn't_ deeply traumatic.
> 
> Those of you who've read _Summer Is Coming_ will no doubt recognise Miriam (and probably knew it was her all along). Her appearance midway through that fic was one of the necessary sparks that really got the plan for this one going, and I'm glad she finally gets to do something other than stand around with PLOT HOOK written on her forehead!
> 
> And as for Harper... well, dear readers, you'll get to meet him properly next time... ;-)
> 
> Catch you all soon!


	7. The Flashback Monologues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations, dear readers. I'm back!
> 
> I didn't quite get this one finished last week, as I realised when I got to a crucial point that the way I'd _planned_ to resolve it was connected to the old plot I had for Carlos, which got replaced with the memory-loss plotline (which is better). As a result, I ended up having to do something else much earlier than I'd planned for it to happen, which complicated things somewhat!
> 
> Speaking of which...

There's a long silence as Kevin and Harper meet eyes.

"No smart words for me?" Harper pushes, eventually. "You're so talkative on the radio. And yet, we finally meet, and all you can do is stare?"

"I only found out that you _exist_ earlier today," Kevin counters. He manages to keep his voice surprisingly level, but Cecil knows his double is deeply rattled by all this.

"True," Harper replies. "But you must have suspected it for months. Longer. Since your double first found _my_ double."

Kevin gives a little nod. "I did," he says, softly. "I assumed you were dead. I wondered about you over and over. Were you taken, like Hunter, and lost somewhere on an unknown plane? Or… did Strexcorp do something to you? Part of me wanted to believe you'd been one of the early dissidents. That you'd died fighting for the freedom of Desert Bluffs."

Harper laughs. "Freedom?" he echoes. "'Annihilation' would be closer. The things you and your associates did to our city…" He shakes his head, looking unimpressed, and it hurts to see.

"What happened to you?" Kevin pushes. "Why don't I remember you?"

"There was an incident," Harper replies. "You were fifteen, I was eighteen. And…"

"…hold on," Kevin interjects. "Let me guess. You were grabbed by some unknown entity that was actually stalking _me_ , and pulled onto another plane of existence."

This gets him a slightly wide-eyed look from Harper, though only for a moment. "Wow, that is _freakishly_ accurate. I'm guessing the exact same thing happened to my double?"

Kevin nods again. "Yes. Only, you didn't then end up back on our plane but in a miniature city where you were worshipped as a god-king?"

"…No," Harper replies. "No, that part didn't happen to me. I was trapped in intra-planar space for… a long time. A very long time."

Despite everything, there's concern in Kevin's eyes now. "How did you survive?" he asks.

Harper shrugs. "I refused to die. There are creatures in intra-planar space. I learned to hunt. To fight. I was constantly looking for a way out, but every time I approached one of the doors that used to appear, it vanished. And then, one day… I found a door that _didn't_ vanish."

"And you went through it?"

"I did."

"And it led..?"

"It led to Desert Bluffs. It led _home_. Though, I didn't realise that at first, given that I appeared in a locked room: tall and circular, and walled in stone."

"…Mr Hartley's vault," Kevin breathes, suddenly horrified. "It was Mr Hartley's vault, wasn't it? Deep underneath Strexcorp HQ?"

Harper gives a weird little smile that isn't really a smile at all, and Cecil feels cold at the sight of it. "Yes," he says. "Strex were _very_ surprised to see me. Especially as no one had been able to get that door open. And _then_ they realised who I was."

"They knew?" Kevin says, and it's clear that his mind hasn't quite caught up with the ramifications of all this. Or, he doesn't want to engage with them, at least. "But… all record of you was erased from existence!"

"That's true," Harper replies. "But the family resemblance between you and I is… notable. And Strexcorp noted it."

"How long had you been gone?" Kevin now asks, quietly.

Harper meets his eyes. "Ten years."

"…Ten years?" Kevin whispers. "But that means… that means… that means _he knew_. Mr Hartley knew who you were. Didn't he?"

There's a smile on Harper's face as he nods. "Oh yes. He told me all about you. His wayward fixer. He said you'd tried to destroy the Bloodstone, and you'd gotten the son of one of the other management board members killed in the process."

"Don't you _dare_ ," Cecil interjects, with a growl. "You know _full-well_ who was responsible for Callum Outteridge's death."

Harper's eyes go to Cecil. "None of that would have happened if Kevin had stayed loyal," he counters. "And, as a result, Strexcorp decided to keep me in hiding. I was housed at an intel facility out in the desert, and I worked, and I _was_ loyal. Everything was going perfectly… until _you three_ – and your allies – destroyed it all."

"And _that's_ where I come in," Miriam now says, smoothly. "I kept the surviving members of the Coven of the Sun together whilst the rest of our world fell apart around us. I kept us _strong_. And… I took Harper in, when he had nowhere else to go."

"And now, here I stand," Harper concludes. "United with my true family. Where I _belong_."

"You don't belong with them," Kevin exclaims, going for broke. "Whatever they've told you, whatever they've _done_ to you… they're evil. And they're in league with the Smiling God."

"Oh yes, _we_ are," Harper replies. "We are its most loyal followers. And we will finish the work started decades ago by our founder, the great Susan Hartley."

"We will never let that happen," Cecil cuts in, softly; taking a step forward. " _I_ will never let that happen. I'm more powerful than any of you, than _all_ of you, and you know it. I stopped your attack on the Homecoming game last night without breaking a sweat."

Miriam glowers at him. "You did," she says. "But I didn't have the whole coven with me then. And… I'm better prepared for you now."

She brandishes her golden dagger in his direction; light glinting off the blade. It's a strangely beautiful thing, with a shorter, broader blade than those favoured by Strex-that-was, and a curved, spiralling hilt. There's a stylised sun carved where that hilt meets the blade, which matches the amulet Miriam is wearing around her neck.

Cecil didn't manage to get a good look at it during the incident at the Homecoming game – because Miriam was too far away – but now there's only a few metres between them, and he can see the weapon clearly. And… he recognises it. He's seen it before. He's seen it in his own hand – or, the hand of a dark vision of himself – a year ago, during the incident on the First Infernal Plane.

He tries to suppress the shiver as he remembers the bloodstone garden, and the things he saw there… terrible, terrible things. And he knows, with a cold, aching certainty, that there's a world in which that weapon ended up in _his_ hand.

But not this world. Not now, not ever.

" _Better_ prepared, maybe," he replies, hoping he's kept his reaction to the blade hidden. "But we both know it won't be enough. You can't stand against me. But if you surrender, no one will get hurt."

Miriam smirks. "And if I don't?"

"Then I'll do what I have to do to protect the people I care about," Cecil answers. "And to get Harper away from you."

"Uh, not in need of rescuing, thanks," Harper cuts in, with a little wave. "Happy where I am. Where I belong. Do I need to do the speech again?"

"Spare us," Kevin in turn cuts in, sounding unimpressed.

"This is all _very_ cute," Miriam remarks. "But it's delaying my big reveal, and I do so _love_ my big reveal."

There's something very ominous about the way she says this, and Cecil feels suddenly cold; as if he's missed a crucial fact.

"What big reveal?" Kevin demands.

Miriam smiles some more. "Allow me to demonstrate."

And she grips the sun-shaped amulet around her neck, pointing her dagger straight at Cecil and calling out something in Dzy-an-thyl. He only knows a handful of words in the language so he has no idea what Miriam has said, although Kevin clearly catches it because it makes him gasp in horror. At the same time, a bright burst of red light courses from the dagger in Miriam's hand; catching Cecil straight in the chest.

His mind is braced for pain, or for worse, which means he's surprised when he feels nothing at all. Blinking at Miriam, he headtilts, deciding that enough is enough.

"My turn," he says, raising a hand…

…and there's nothing. No purple light. _Nothing_.

"Gotcha," Miriam declares, with a wicked look in her eyes.

"What did you do?" Cecil breathes, a wave of renewed horror overtaking him.

"A little trick that Susan worked out, years ago," Miriam replies. "Of course, she had no one to test it on, but she was confident it would work when the time came."

"When the..?" Cecil starts out. "What do you mean by that?"

Miriam smiles all the more. "She knew you existed. Knew you had power. Knew you hadn't discovered it, but that one day… you might. And, given that you were the double of her husband's precious boytoy–"

" _That does it!_ " Kevin explodes, rage in his voice, pointing his knife at Miriam. "Stand down now or there _will_ be consequences."

"Consequences?" Harper throws back. "What can _you_ possibly do? You're not _him_. Although, right now, neither is he. We, on the other hand, are Susan Hartley's chosen successors. And we have been preparing for this for _years_ …"

In unison, the coven all lift their hands, holding them high, and then – also in unison – they begin to chant. There's a heavy _thunk_ as something locks the double-doors to the room, and then the air goes cold, hinted with static. Cecil recognises the feeling at once… the same way it felt the previous night, at the Homecoming game.

H'ygragagogoth. They're summoning H'ygragagogoth.

"You maniac!" Kevin yells, and now he sounds half-enraged and half- _terrified_. "You can't invoke H'ygragagogoth in here! You'll kill us all!"

"Not all of us," Miriam says, her voice resonating now. "Just you."

The horror is overwhelming. Cecil has seen – OK, heard – first-hand what happens if someone successfully invokes the demonic deity in question, and right now he can't stop it. Not like he did the previous night. The power in him is gone… or blocked… or something, but the end result is the same.

 _There is nothing he can do_. And that realisation is crushing. He can feel Carlos pressing in against his back, and he knows the other man must be out of his mind right now, especially given that all of this is completely new to him.

Kevin looks sideways at the two of them, his eyes wide with horror; like he doesn't know what to do. And then… then he takes a quick step forward, slipping his knife away and holding up his own hands in a mirror of Miriam's pose.

And he starts to chant. And whilst Cecil does not know the words of the invocation, it doesn't take long to realise that _Kevin_ is saying them too, but out of sync. Almost as if he's trying to summon H'ygragagogoth _himself_.

But… but he can't… can he? It's always been said that only people as powerful as Susan Hartley could do something like this on their own. That, after all, is why Miriam needs her coven of allies to help her. And yet, here's Kevin trying to do it single-handedly, and…

There's a sound like an entire orchestra of drums being struck in unison, and the air goes as cold as ice, and Cecil can _feel_ the whole coven _struggling_ suddenly, as if they've run up against some kind of wall.

Kevin and Miriam lock eyes, and it's hard to tell which of them looks angrier right now. Neither can speak, because they can't stop this deep into the chant, but it's blatantly obvious from their expressions that both would sorely like to hurt the other. Kevin is clearly fighting hard to keep the chant going; his body shaking visibly, but he doesn't let it hold him back.

The whole room is vibrating; resonant with chanting and raw power, and somehow Kevin keeps fighting and fighting to keep his own invocation going. And, when the air overhead finally rips open, it's clear whose ritual has been successful.

And it isn't the coven's.

" _Run!_ " Miriam yells, suddenly. "Everyone, _run!_ "

Orange-robed figures scatter in all directions: some heading into the darkness at the back of the room, and others moving to kick open the double-doors closer by. Mind reeling, Cecil manages to grab hold of Carlos, pulling him out of the room and out into the passageway beyond. No one pays them any attention: too desperate to get beyond the range of the rip in reality, and the thunderous roaring now spilling out of it. Seeing no other alternative, Cecil drags Carlos through the next side-door he sees; slamming it shut and leaning on it hard so that no one else can get in.

In the dimness of that room, Cecil can see Carlos staring at him in blank horror; speechless at what's just happened. Beyond… the rumbling is starting to subside, and the distant screams are fading, and Cecil's heart is racing so hard he feels like his chest might explode.

"…w-what..?" Carlos tries, after another moment. "W-what… just..?"

"I don't know," Cecil breathes. "I… I didn't think…"

But he can't say any more. All he can do is wait until the world beyond the door has gone completely silent, at which point the desperate need to find Kevin overrules the fear that something terrible might happen when he tries.

"If anyone or any _thing_ attacks me, just run," Cecil says to Carlos.

"I'm not leaving you," Carlos manages.

"All right, then, just… just stay close."

And, very carefully, Cecil opens the door.

The passageway beyond is empty and still. The air is cold, and now heavy with a coppery tang, and Cecil almost doesn't dare turn back towards the central room. But he has to. He has to find out if Kevin is all right. If he's… if he's even…

…masters of us all, don't think it…

Slowly, with Carlos still right at his back, he moves down the passageway to the double-doors. They're half-open, given that there's an orange-robed figure lying prone in the doorway, and it's clear the person in question is dead.

Beyond, Cecil can see the room where the coven was. It's streaked with blood, and at least four more bodies lie scattered at the periphery, and Cecil knows – from past experience – that it's best not to look at them too closely. Besides, he has more immediate concerns to deal with.

 _Far_ more immediate. Kevin is in the centre of the room, on his knees, head back and clearly catching his breath. Much like the room, he's streaked with blood, but it's obviously not his own and he doesn't look injured.

"…Kevin?" Cecil says, soft and cautious. "Kevin, are you..?"

Slowly, Kevin rises to his feet, and turns… and it's blatantly obvious from his expression that he's high as a kite right now.

"Hey…" he breathes, distantly, and promptly falls back down onto his knees. "That was… that was… _wow_ …"

"How did you do that?" Cecil gasps, kneeling as well, and putting a hand on the side of Kevin's face. "I thought you said..?"

"I don't know," Kevin manages. "It was the only way I could think of to stop them killing us. So I tried the summoning as well, and…"

"…and yours overruled theirs?"

Kevin beams at him, eyes bleary. "Yeah. I didn't know if that was even _possible_ , but apparently it is, and I think perhaps I can do things I didn't realise I can do and could you maybe take me home and do lovely, wicked things to me for hours now, please?"

This makes Carlos give a little gasp, but it's hard to be sure if it's a gasp of alarm or interest. Though, even without his memories of them, apparently there's still a fine line between the two.

"I think we should focus on getting out of here alive first," Cecil replies. "You took out a few of the coven, but the rest of them survived and they're going to be back once they realise it's safe."

"…Yeah," Kevin breathes again. "Did… did my brother..?"

"He and Miriam got out through one of the rear doors once things really kicked off," Cecil says. "So he's still alive, and we'll find him, Kevin, I promise you. But right now… right now we need to get out of here. My powers don't work, and Carlos has no memories, and you… can you even stand?"

"Sure I can," Kevin insists, batting at him. "If, you know, if you both hold me up…"

And, for the first couple of minutes, that's what it takes: Cecil and Carlos half-carrying Kevin down the passageways until he's recovered enough to stand on his own. Mostly. It feels like an age until they finally stagger out into the warm, desert air; the sky overhead still a tapestry of glittering stars.

Before Cecil can even say anything, there's a roar of tyres, and a black SUV comes hurtling over the ridge and down towards them. It's Tomas', and he's at the wheel, with Frederick half-hanging out of the front window with his new death ray in hand. The car swerves to a halt close by and Tomas leaps out, running over at once with relief in his eyes.

"Merciful Edison," he gasps, "you're alive. We heard rumbling, and screaming, and there was some kind of energy shockwave, and then a load of people dressed in orange came racing out the doors and off into the desert. What _happened_ in there?"

"Long story," Cecil starts out, "but–"

"…I invoked _H'ygragagogoth!_ " Kevin interjects, still high as a kite.

Tomas stares at him. "You can do that?" he says.

"Nope!" Kevin replies. "But I did!"

"I… see," Tomas manages, looking a little bemused, before he turns to Carlos. "I'm so glad you're OK, I–"

"…what are _you_ doing here?" Carlos now interjects, staring at Tomas with narrowed eyes, and it's only at this point that Cecil remembers the fact that, five and a half years ago, the two brothers were not on speaking terms.

"I came to help," Tomas says, looking from Carlos to Cecil, clearly aware something is wrong. "Is… did something else happen in there?"

"They've messed with Carlos' memories," Cecil explains. "He only remembers up to 2011. They made him forget everything to do with us."

"…That is _evil_ ," Tomas breathes, a defensive edge flaring in his voice. "Can it be undone?"

Cecil nods. "Kevin thinks so. Though he isn't sure how. And right now he's high as a kite because of the summoning so he may not be the best person to ask."

"Wait… did we make up?" Carlos asks, still staring at his twin.

"Yes," Tomas replies. "A year and a half ago."

"…Oh. That… must have taken a lot."

"It did."

"I don't mean to interrupt all this expo," Frederick calls over, from where he's still perched halfway out the window of the SUV, "but I can see orange-robed figures re-grouping beyond that ridge, and I think maybe we should get out of here. Unless you want me to death-ray all of them whilst Carlos doesn't know he doesn't approve of those…"

"I don't approve of those!" Carlos interjects.

"…well, it was worth a try…"

They all scramble back into the SUV, and Tomas revs the engine, driving off into the dark.

***

The journey home is a quiet one.

By the time they make it back to the house, Kevin is rather more coherent, though he still looks like he'd very, very much like it if Cecil would jump him now, please. He's obviously keeping it under control though, mostly because of how alarmed Carlos looks. The scientist has been sitting half-curled on himself, not quite making contact with anyone, and he just stares at the house as the SUV comes to a halt.

"It's OK," Cecil tells him, softly. "I know you don't remember any of this, but… you're home. You'll be safe here."

They all go inside, and – despite everything – it's still such a relief to have Carlos back where he belongs. He stares around as they move into the hall, and Cecil can only imagine how weird this must be: to see signs that this _is_ his home, and yet still not remember any of it.

"What's the next step?" Tomas asks, and as he does Cecil realises he's the only one really able to provide a sensible answer to this.

"We really ought to sleep," he replies, because finally getting home has reminded him just how tired he is. "It's only a few hours until dawn. In the morning, we'll call Naomi and see if she knows a way to fix Carlos. And… maybe why Kevin can suddenly summon demonic deities on his own…"

"…oh, we don't need to mention that…" Kevin murmurs, looking weirdly reticent.

"And then we have to track down the coven again," Cecil goes on. "We have to stop whatever they're doing, and we need to get Kevin's brother back too."

"I can keep working on that whilst you take care of Carlos," Tomas says. "That's if Frederick doesn't mind having a houseguest…"

"Not when it's you!" Frederick answers, brightly, putting a hand on Tomas' arm.

So it's settled. Tomas and Frederick gather up their crate-full of tech equipment and head off, leaving Cecil, Kevin and Carlos alone. And, once they are, Cecil realises he doesn't know where to begin.

"We should… we should talk about what happened," he says to Kevin.

"I know," Kevin replies, "but… later? Please. I still haven't processed it. And we need to look after Carlos."

"I… you can just… you know, whatever you do," Carlos manages. "I don't… I don't know _what_ is going on but I do know that what I've seen tonight defies science in more ways than I can list. And apparently I'm on good terms with my brother again. And married to non-related identical doubles. And…"

He trails off, clearly overwhelmed; sitting a little awkwardly on the edge of one of the couches as if he's not even sure he should. Heart aching, Cecil goes over and sits beside him – close but not touching – and Kevin does the same on Carlos' other side.

"I promise you're safe with us," Cecil says. "I realise all of this must be hard to deal with, but I swear to you, you're going to be OK."

"I… do believe you," Carlos replies. "You got me out of that place, and apparently my brother trusts you – which is no mean feat – and looking around… this house… it feels like somewhere I would live."

"You should go check out the lab if you need more proof," Kevin adds, with a little smile.

"I have a lab?"

Cecil smiles too. "Oh yes. Just down there. And then a much bigger one where you and your team work."

" _My_ team?"

"Yes," Kevin says. "Toby recruited you to lead them. It's why you came to Night Vale in the first place."

"Oh," Carlos replies. "So… I didn't take the job in Desert Bluffs?"

"You did," Kevin tells him. "That's how you met me. And… then you left because I failed to tell you some important things about my work…"

"The… demon-summoning?" Carlos manages. "Or… the knife-fighting?"

"Both."

"Oh," Carlos says again. "So… wait, were we _together_ -together?"

Kevin nods. "Yes. And when Toby talked you into coming to Night Vale, you and _Cecil_ ended up together."

"…I hooked up with my ex's double?"

Kevin nods once more. "That's right."

"…How did that happen?"

"You kept me at a distance for a year," Cecil says. "Only, then the inhabitants of the miniature city under the bowling alley tried to kill you. And when you didn't die, you realised you should stop denying what you wanted. So we got together. And we only found out later that the miniature city was actually ruled by my long-lost brother who'd been erased from everyone's memories when he was eighteen, and… you know, that's another long story…"

Carlos stares. And stares. And _stares_.

"…so… so how did all _three_ of us..?"

"The company Kevin used to work for – Strexcorp – tried to take over Night Vale," Cecil explains."

"…wait. Strexcorp? The guys who recruited me?"

"Yes."

"They were _evil?_ "

"Like you wouldn't believe," Kevin says, very wryly. "It's probably for the best that you ended up leaving after only a few months. They… they had plans for you…"

Carlos shivers. "…oh…" he manages. "So… so I was in Night Vale, and then Strexcorp took over here, and…"

"And Kevin came to town as part of it, yes," Cecil goes on. "Only, he'd broken out of their mind control and he was secretly helping us. And then there was a huge battle, and Kevin nearly got killed trying to save us, and it made me realise I wanted him too, and it turned out he felt the same, so one thing led to another, and…"

"…and now all three of us are married?"

"Yes," Cecil says, softly. "Since March. Though… some other stuff happened in the interim. Quite a lot, actually. After we'd saved Night Vale, we saved Desert Bluffs too, and took down Strex, and then we helped heal a schism down in the miniature city, and… we have pretty _eventful_ lives."

"So I gather!" Carlos exclaims. "This is all… I don't even know _how_ to process this. Even the relationship part on its own would be a lot to take in, but… but _demon-summoning?_ And… _whatever_ it is you can do with that purple light…"

"I can imagine," Cecil replies. "Sometimes I look back at the last few years and _I_ still find it a little insane. But… amazing. The things we've done. The things we've seen. And…"

He trails off, remembering what happened earlier, and looks over at Kevin. "…I have to ask," he adds, "do you know what Miriam did to me? Why my powers suddenly..?"

"No," Kevin answers. "Not the specifics, at least. But, if Susan Hartley knew you existed, I could easily believe her wanting to find a way to nullify what you can do. She must have realised that a showdown between the two of you was a possibility. It certainly would have been something to see…"

His eyes go a little hazy, and he's clearly still coming down from the summoning-high.

"…Focus, sweetheart," Cecil says.

"…Sorry," Kevin manages, though he doesn't look it. "Have your powers come back yet? I don't think they'd be easy to block for very long."

"Oh," Cecil murmurs, "I should try to…"

He holds out his hand, and concentrates… and, almost at once, a flare of purple light sputters into life; slow at first but rapidly swelling to its usual strength and intensity, and it is the weirdest kind of relief to see.

"…That is _seriously_ odd," Carlos says, suddenly. "Is it… I mean, can I..?"

Cecil nods. "Of course."

And Carlos cautiously reaches out to play his fingertips through the light. He does it slowly at first; as if approaching a candle flame, but then a little more daringly once it's clear it won't hurt him.

"Oh," he says, headtilting. "That's… I mean, it's scientifically _impossible_ , but…"

"…really, really cool?" Kevin suggests, with a smile.

"Yeah," Carlos manages. He's obviously drawn, but he pulls his hand back after a moment, curling in on himself again. "What do I do now?"

"We'll keep you safe here," Cecil says, letting the light fade again. "And then, in the morning, we'll get in touch with a friend of ours. Naomi. She's an expert on this sort of thing, and I'm sure she'll be able to find a way to fix your memories."

Carlos looks hopeful. "You… you really think it's possible?"

"If anyone can find a way, Naomi can," Kevin points out.

It may not be a certainty, but it's a start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...so the whole plotline with _Kevin's_ powers - which prolific readers will note I've lovingly borrowed from Believer - was not originally planned to start up this early, and it's going to be interesting to have that one play out alongside everything else that's going on.
> 
> And now, given that it's still early, I had better get back to the next chapter. Catch you all soon! :-)


	8. Five And A Half Years Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *taps mic cautiously*
> 
> So... uhm... hey, dear readers. I'm totally not dead! I also realise I kind of vanished for a little while there, so profuse apologies for the radio silence. On the plus side, for once it was due to good reasons: I ended up having an epic April that included my girlfriend and I deciding that, having been engaged for four and a half years already, we should really start planning an actual wedding, and as such I've been a little busy! :-D
> 
> But I am back at last, and hopefully this next chapter will go some way towards making up for my absence...

Cecil is still trying not to dwell too much on how beaten-up Carlos looks.

This isn't because he doesn't care – on the contrary, he aches with how much he needs to help – but because he knows who was responsible for the other man's current state. And he knows Kevin is deeply affected by that same awareness.

Given that Kevin is also still covered in rather a lot of blood after what happened with the coven, he opts to go off and deal with it. And, whilst his double is away in the shower, Cecil decides to seize the moment.

"I can take care of some of those cuts," he says to Carlos, which makes the other man jump a little, obviously remembering where they came from.

"All right," Carlos agrees. "It's… I mean… I'll be OK if you don't…"

"Please," Cecil pushes, very gently. "I just want to help."

He fetches the first aid kit from the lab, and brings it back through to the living room; sitting next to Carlos again and taking out the antiseptic and sterile pads, so he can clean the cuts on Carlos' face and arms. None of them are deep or serious, but the fact of them being there at all is extremely difficult to deal with: both for not wanting Carlos to be hurt in the first place, and for the truth of where he got them.

How could Harper have done this? What happened to him that would make him so _cruel?_

Carlos is quiet whilst Cecil works; jumping a little when the antiseptic stings too much, but otherwise not really moving. He's clearly still in shock over what he's been through, especially considering that he won't have had any idea as to why it was happening, or why anyone would do this to him.

Cecil just has to be glad it wasn't anything worse. He doesn't know what he'd do if that was the case.

Unfortunately, what comes next proves to be just as painful, in a far more immediate way. With Carlos' wounds taken care of, Cecil then points out that they really ought to go to bed, and the other man gives him a particularly nervous look.

"Is… is there somewhere I can sleep?" he asks. "I know you said we're married and I do believe you, but… but I don't remember, and…"

"It's all right," Cecil interjects, softly; trying to hide the sadness in his voice because he understands. Of course he understands. It just hurts all the same. "I'll make up the spare room for you."

So he does, knowing why he has to and wishing he didn't. He's still aching with the thought of it by the time he and Kevin finally climb into their own bed: together, yes, but without Carlos there. And OK, it helps enormously to know he's in the house, and he's safe, but he's not _here_ .

Kevin crawls into Cecil's arms and curls up against his chest, and Cecil wraps him in tight. There's a great deal _they_ haven't said either, and he can feel the weight of that too.

"Do you want to talk about what happened earlier?" Cecil tries, going for broke.

"…Nothing to say," Kevin answers, wholly unconvincingly.

"Nothing to say?" Cecil repeats. "You summoned H'ygragagogoth! On your own! And whilst the Coven of the Sun were also trying to do it! You…"

He realises he's still in shock about that, and tries to calm his reactions to it. Which is not easy.

"…I don't know how it happened," Kevin says after a moment, his voice very soft. "I just realised that there was nothing else I could do. Your powers were blocked, and Carlos… I still can't process what's happened to Carlos… and I couldn't take _all_ of them on in hand-to-hand combat, and I didn't… didn't _want_ to have to face my brother like that, and… I guess instinct took over…"

"That part, I understand," Cecil replies. "Sort of, at least. But, Kevin… that summoning is supposed to take a whole coven! And you did it on your own…"

"I think… I think I might be more powerful than I realised," Kevin whispers, like he almost feels wrong admitting it. "I mean… I'm not _you_ , but… I've always been good at summoning, and I've felt for a while that there was something more, and…"

"Hey, hey, look at me," Cecil says, putting a gentle hand on Kevin's cheek and trying to make him lift his head. "Don't treat this like it's a bad thing. It isn't. How could it be? You just saved our lives, and the look on Miriam's face when you effectively stole that summoning from the whole coven was _definitely_ worth it."

Kevin gives a little smile. "…That part was satisfying. She never did like me."

"I take it you knew her back… you know. Back then?"

"Yes. I mean, I didn't know her especially well, because I didn't have a lot to do with the coven day to day, but I was at all the big, public events, same as her. And in the later years she was often around Mrs Hartley because she'd been picked as the heir to the coven's leadership. I never quite knew _why_ she didn't like me, though. It's not like we ever came to blows. But the way she looked at me… it's the same way Andrew used to look at me. Like she was…"

"…jealous," Cecil surmises, softly. "Maybe she realised you were more powerful than you knew. Maybe _Susan_ realised."

"I suppose she might have," Kevin says. "Maybe I should have explored my own abilities more."

"You still can," Cecil reminds him. "We can do it together, if you want. You helped me when I first discovered the things I can do, after all."

Kevin curls in tighter. "It felt _really_ weird," he whispers. "I mean, I've been power-high before, but that…"

Cecil smiles. "You were certainly… affectionate. And under better circumstances, I'd've been in favour of indulging it. _Extensively_. But…"

"…not really possible when you're surrounded by dead coven members and one of your husbands has no memory of who you are," Kevin agrees, wryly. "And let's not even get started on my brother…"

"We'll get him back," Cecil insists. "I promise you. And we'll find out what's really going on here."

"He's with them," Kevin replies. "With Strex-that-was."

Cecil strokes a hand along Kevin's jaw. "But is he, though? He might not be acting of his own free will."

"He sounded like he was."

"I bet you did too, back in the day."

Kevin goes very quiet at that. "…You really think he might be mind-controlled?" he says, after a long moment.

"It's a serious possibility," Cecil reminds him. "We don't know for sure, of course, but we have to consider it."

"I guess you're right," Kevin says. "I mean, I don't want to actively wish that on anyone, but it would be better than finding out he's freely in league with them. But… but if he is…"

"…We'll find a way to resolve this," Cecil interjects, gently. Realising where Kevin's mind is going and wanting to pull him back. "It won't end like that."

"I hope not," Kevin whispers, curling in tight again.

They lie in silence for a while, though neither one falls asleep, and Cecil knows it's because both their minds are racing a little too much. And it's just as he's finally starting to drift that he's pulled back to the moment by a soft tapping at the doorway. Kevin clearly picks up on it too, because they both sit up suddenly, looking over at the source of the sound.

It's Carlos. He pushes the door open wider, very cautiously, and looks in at the two of them with a sheepish expression on his face. Well. Sheepish and _drawn_.

"I… uhm… can I..?" he tries, but trails off almost at once.

"Are you all right?" Cecil asks.

"Yes, yes, but… I…" Carlos tries again. "…I feel all wrong in there, on my own. Like… like I know at my core that something's missing, and I…"

He pauses, and takes a deep breath before continuing. "…Can I stay here with you? I… I know what I said before, and normally that would make total sense, but when I tried it I just felt _wrong_ , and… and if you don't want me to then that's OK but… I had to ask…"

Cecil feels like his heart is simultaneously breaking and leaping with joy, and it's a deeply strange thing to experience. Part of him wonders if he should be more cautious about how he plays this… but that part is overwhelmed by the need to have Carlos here. With them. Where he belongs.

…Caution be damned. They didn't get this far by being cautious. They did it by trusting in what they all knew they wanted. And, for a moment, Cecil sees it: the lights in the sky over the Arby's; Carlos at his side, leaning in closer, finally letting himself have what he'd obviously wanted for a long time. And… Kevin, after the Battle of Night Vale, standing in the kitchen doorway and looking like he'd face death all over again just to spend one more moment with them.

Cecil meets Kevin's eyes in the dim light, and knows that his double agrees. And then he slips out of bed, standing up, and holds out a hand to Carlos. He doesn't say anything: doesn't push. The last thing he wants is to cause the other man any more pain.

But Carlos moves almost at once; taking Cecil's hand and stepping in, and cautiously pressing a little closer. And it's still so strange, to see him so skittish, but Cecil remembers what he was like when they first met.

"I promise you're safe with us," he whispers. "I _promise_. Do you want to lie down?"

Carlos meets his eyes, like he doesn't quite dare at first, and then he nods. "Yes. If… if that's all right…"

"Of course it is," Cecil insists, and he steps back to let Carlos climb into the bed first. He looks like he's not at all sure what to do or how to lie, but Kevin holds out an arm to gesture him in closer. And Carlos accepts the offer, letting Kevin pull him in and curling up on his side, which leaves room for Cecil to curl in behind him, carefully wrapping an arm around his waist.

"… _Oh_ …" Carlos murmurs, softly. "That's… _wow_ …"

There's something ridiculously cute about your memory-wiped husband realising all over again that he likes it when you hold him. _Ridiculously_ cute. Cecil's heart aches even more.

"Does that feel good?" Kevin asks, with a smile.

"Yes," Carlos breathes. "I… I'm sorry about before. I… from my point of view, at least… I haven't been in a relationship for quite a while. Honestly, I'm not very good at them. That's part of why I was so surprised when you told me about the three of us. And I don't normally attract men who are so… you know… hot, and I… uhm… I might just stop talking now…"

"Don't apologise," Cecil says, close to Carlos' ear, which makes the other man give a little shiver of delight. "We both fell for you, not just because of how beautiful you are, but also because of how amazing you are. You're brilliant, and warm, and funny, and _remarkably_ wicked when you want to be…"

"…Oh…" Carlos manages, hiding his face in the pillows for a moment.

"And you're far braver than you like to let on," Kevin adds. "But we know. And we adore you for it."

"…I wish I remembered," Carlos says.

"We'll find a way to undo what's been done to you," Cecil reaffirms. "We _will_."

"I hope so. I want to be back to normal. Even though 'normal' seems to be very unusual in my case…"

Kevin smiles. "A little," he concedes. "But in a good way."

"Yeah," Carlos murmurs, now sounding more than a little sleepy. "I'm getting that sense…"

Cecil strokes a hand over Carlos' arm, before pulling the bedcovers up over them all more. "Rest, now," he says. "Tomorrow… we can start working out how to fix this."

Although, despite how tired he is, there's no way Cecil is going to let himself fall asleep until Carlos does, and it's clear from the look in Kevin's eyes that he's thinking the same.

But it doesn't take Carlos long at all.

***

Cecil is awoken in the morning by a sudden jump from Carlos. He blinks his eyes open in time to realise that the other man has also just woken up, and clearly hasn't quite processed where he is yet.

"Hey, hey, it's all right," Kevin says, and he sounds more coherent; like he's been awake for a little longer. "You're with us, remember? You're safe."

Carlos goes still, seeming to relax again. "…Oh yes," he breathes. "Sorry. I… from my point of view, at least, I'm not used to waking up… you know. Not alone."

"It's OK," Cecil reminds him, sliding an arm around his waist again. "How do you feel?"

"Better, I think," Carlos answers. "The sleep seems to have helped. _Really_ helped. Do I usually sleep that well? Because… because from my point of view, I don't."

"Usually, yes," Kevin replies, with a smile. "Sometimes you need tiring out first, though, but… oh… sorry. That's probably more sharing than you want right now…"

Carlos hides his face in the pillows a little. "…it's all right…" he murmurs. "I've… never really slept well, so it's nice to think that… that one day I do…"

Kevin traces fingertips over the side of Carlos' cheek, which makes the other man look at him again, his breath catching as he does. "You like that?" Kevin asks, softly.

Carlos nods in response, rather quickly, and a shiver runs through him as he does. A very _telling_ shiver. It makes Kevin gently slip those fingers under Carlos' chin, and meet his eyes.

"What about this?"

And he leans in, kissing Carlos oh-so-softly, just for a few seconds, before pulling back.

"…oh…" Carlos breathes, sounding so very drawn again, and Cecil can feel the sudden tension in the other man's body: not fear or resistance, but _need_.

"Should I do that again?" Kevin asks, low and soft and _seductive_ , though without losing that edge of care. "Or… do you want me to stop? It's OK if you do. I _promise_ we won't push you into anything."

"Don't stop," Carlos replies, quickly. " _Please_."

Kevin's eyes flick to Cecil at this, obviously wanting to gauge his reaction. And yes, it's true that part of Cecil thinks they shouldn't go too far. Carlos _doesn't_ remember them, after all, and Cecil is all too aware of how nervous the man was when they first met. He certainly wasn't the sort to leap into bed with someone he barely knew.

But, on the other hand… this is different. He knows that he _should_ know them, and it's clear he believes it or he wouldn't have climbed into bed with them last night. And maybe that's lifting his inhibitions somewhat…

…or a _lot_ , judging by the rather shameless little moan of delight he makes when Kevin kisses him again.

" _Ohyes_ ," Carlos manages, as the kiss breaks. "That… I… _wow_ …"

Cecil puts a hand on Carlos' shoulder, gently pulling him onto his back, and Carlos goes willingly; staring up at them both once he's in place. He looks so nervous, and at the same time like he's nearly out of his mind with need, and his eyes flick between the two doubles as if he's trying to work out what they're going to do next.

And hoping whatever it is will be _soon_.

Happy to oblige, Cecil leans in and lays a kiss of his own on Carlos' lips. He takes it slowly, not wanting to overwhelm the other man, but it's clear from Carlos' reaction that he's very much in favour of what's happening. He parts his lips after a moment, letting Cecil deepen the kiss, and his eyes are dark with wanting when Cecil finally pulls back.

"Was that good?" he asks, with a smile of his own, because it's obvious what the answer to this is.

" _Yes_ ," Carlos gasps, and he has that look he used to get back when they first started sleeping together: a look that only thinly hides a deep and desperate longing with the brakes recently taken off.

Cecil traces his fingertips over Carlos' cheek again. "Should we keep going?" he asks. "We don't have to go any further than you want. We'd never push you into doing more than you're happy with. We _love_ you."

"You really do, don't you?" Carlos says, looking between the two of them. "Even when you said we were all married, I wasn't quite sure how this works, but… but you actually… you both…"

He trails off, and it's clear he's a little overwhelmed.

"Of course we do," Kevin breathes. "And we won't do any more than you want. But, if you _do_ want…"

"I want," Carlos whispers. "I… I don't often, not really, but the two of you… something about you is just so _magnetic_ , and… OK, both of you smiled in unison at that last part, what am I missing?"

"You said you don't often… but these days you _do_ often," Kevin answers. " _Often_."

Carlos stares. "I… do? I mean, we..?"

"Quite regularly," Cecil says.

"… _Oh_. And… and I…"

"…frequently initiate and _always_ appreciate," Kevin breathes in Carlos' ear, in precisely the tone that – under normal circumstances – drives him wild. And, judging by the look in the man's eyes, the result is fairly similar even now. "And often beg us for more."

" _Oh_ ," Carlos manages again. "I… really?"

"Yes," Cecil answers.

Carlos looks between them. "…show me…"

" _Gladly_ ," Kevin breathes in his ear.

And he arches in closer, kissing Carlos once more whilst stroking a hand over his chest and then sliding it lower, over his stomach and slowly downwards. He's clearly not rushing: partly to be teasing, but mostly because it means he can stop if Carlos changes his mind about this.

But he doesn't. He whimpers softly as the kiss breaks, staring up at Kevin with longing in his eyes, and it's so beautiful to watch that Cecil just lets himself do that for a few moments; a hand on Carlos' arm but no more. And it's only when Kevin's hand finally pushes between Carlos' legs, making the man cry out in wanting, that Cecil moves in closer.

"How does that feel?" Cecil asks, as Kevin works Carlos' clothing out of the way and starts slowly stroking him.

"Feels… good, _really_ good…" Carlos gasps, sounding almost taken aback, if very appreciative at the same time. "It… _ohyes_ …"

It's at this point that Cecil starts to kiss Carlos again, a little more firmly now, and he can feel the tremor of delight that runs through the other man in response. But it isn't a surprise. This version of Carlos might not remember learning all the things he really likes, but both doubles know that their husband was not entirely unaware of them beforehand.

This being said, they probably shouldn't go so far as to show him the basement dungeon. _Probably_.

But they can help him to connect to the feelings they know he loves, whilst trying not to outright scare him. Even if he sometimes enjoys that too. Cecil pulls Carlos' shirt up and runs his fingertips over the other man's chest, toying lightly with one of his nipples at the same time as Kevin starts stroking him a little harder, and the very obvious attention from both of them at once is evidently doing all sorts of interesting things to Carlos' brain.

"Is that still good?" Kevin purrs in Carlos' ear.

"Y-yes," Carlos gasps, a delightful little tremor in his voice that makes it clear just how much he means it.

"Just relax," Cecil purrs in Carlos' other ear, deciding to go for broke. "We know what you need. What you _enjoy_. So, tell us, Carlos… do you want us to take things all the way? Or would you prefer to keep it like this? I promise you… no matter which option you choose, we can still have you screaming the roof off in bliss before the end…"

The scientist's eyes go wide. "All the way," he says. "Merciful Einstein… _please_."

Cecil and Kevin exchange another look, and a smile, which is as much for Carlos' benefit as it is for theirs.

"Oh, you'd like that, would you?" Kevin adds, wickedly. "The two of us, taking thorough advantage of the beautiful, brilliant scientist we rescued and brought home…"

" _Please_ ," Carlos begs, a renewed tremor of need running all the way through him.

Kevin leans in to lay a gentle kiss against Carlos' lips, and then pulls back a little so that he can tug open the drawer on the nightstand and retrieve the lubricant they keep there. As he does, Cecil moves in for a kiss of his own, and then slowly urges Carlos to take his shirt off, before lying him gently back and sliding his pyjama trousers off as well. He can feel the way the other man shivers at that, but from his eyes it's clearly anticipation rather than hesitation.

"Look at me," Cecil says, softly, stroking his fingertips over Carlos' chest again, as Kevin moves back in and starts gently tugging his legs apart. "That's it. That's it. We'll take care of you, I promise."

" _Ohyes_ ," Carlos murmurs. "Yes… yes… I… _oh_ …"

It's at this point that Kevin slowly pushes a lubricated finger into him, and Carlos' eyes roll back in delight; his breath catching for a moment before he gasps out another " _yes_ " and reaches to grip hold of Cecil's hand.

"Is that good?" Kevin asks, with a smile.

Carlos gives a rather emphatic nod, biting his lip and then rocking his head back as he gives in to the sensations. And as he's bared his throat so thoughtfully, Cecil leans in to kiss along the side of his neck, which makes Carlos flat-out whimper.

This must be so strange for him. They know _precisely_ what he likes, without him having to say a word, and it's clearly breaking his brain more than a little.

"Do you want more?" Cecil now asks, speaking right into Carlos' ear again.

Carlos gasps. "Yes… yes… _please_." 

_Very_ happy to oblige, Cecil slicks two of his own fingers with the lubricant, then moves his hand down between Carlos' legs and starts to slowly push one into him, alongside Kevin's. And _that_ makes the scientist cry out in broken delight, his hips shaking.

"You're so beautiful," Kevin says, kissing Carlos' stomach. "We love you so much."

"Y-you really do, don't you?" Carlos gasps. "It's… the way you just _know_ … it's incredible…"

"We've had plenty of time to learn," Cecil replies, as they both slide their fingers slowly back and forth. "And you're always telling us how good science requires repetition…"

Carlos manages a rather emphatic nod. "It d-does, that's true… it… I… _oh, merciful Einstein, please, like that_ …"

He's already falling apart so completely, and it's achingly beautiful to watch. Cecil and Kevin meet eyes again after another moment, and then – one by one – they slowly slide a second finger into Carlos. It makes him nigh-on howl in delight, his whole body shaking with need, and he reaches out a hand to grab hold of both of them; as if not doing so would leave him vulnerable to falling off the world.

"Is that still good?" Kevin asks.

" _Yes_ ," Carlos gasps. "Yes, please… I need more… I… _need_."

"We know," Cecil reminds him. "It's all right. It's all right. Now… do you still want us to keep going? To take this all the way?"

Carlos nods. A lot. "Please," he whispers; so much meaning in that one word. " _Please_."

Cecil and Kevin exchange another look; a moment of agreement, and then they gently slide their fingers free and pull back, before slipping out of their own clothing and moving between Carlos' legs. Cecil urges Kevin into the middle – knowing how much he loves it, and wanting the chance to make him happy too – and then presses in behind him, slicking his hand with more of the lubricant and then reaching around to start stroking his double. It makes Kevin give a murmur of delight; leaning back against Cecil and letting him work, but the sight also makes Carlos' eyes go wide.

And this, oh yes, this is familiar. They've done it plenty of times before, but it always reminds Cecil of the very first time, and especially now; given that Carlos has exactly the same look of stunned delight on his face. Cecil keeps stroking Kevin slow and firm, kissing along the curve of his neck at the same time, and even without the happy sounds he knows just how much his double loves this.

"I think it's time we gave Carlos what he needs, don't you?" Cecil murmurs in Kevin's ear, after another moment.

"I couldn't agree more," Kevin replies, arching back against Cecil even further.

So Cecil lets go of him and Kevin moves closer to Carlos, starting to slowly, carefully push into him. The scientist gives a whimper of pleasure at that; cautiously lifting his hands to stroke over Kevin's shoulders as he leans in.

"Does that feel good?" Kevin says.

"Y-yes. _Yes_ ," Carlos gasps. "And you… you can be a little firmer if you want…"

Even without being able to see his face, Cecil can _feel_ Kevin smiling at that. "Oh, don't you worry," Kevin purrs. " _We know_."

Cecil moves in closer now, reaching for the lubricant once more, and soon he's pushing into Kevin, making the man beneath him cry out in delight and hold on to Carlos tighter.

And then Cecil starts to move his hips, leaning down over Kevin as he does; every thrust shunting the other man into Carlos, and it's clear how much the scientist likes it, given his rough gasp of bliss, and the way his breathing rapidly goes ragged.

"Oh yes… yes… _Cecil, just like that_ ," Kevin gasps, which makes Cecil kiss his back, wherever he can reach.

Carlos, meanwhile, already looks like he's losing his mind in the best way possible. "You… you're both so… I can't even process it… just… _merciful Einstein, don't stop…_ "

Kevin kisses him at that; firm and deep, and Carlos moans in response, and it's such a joy – and a relief – to see him so happy. To know that he trusts them, even with his memories gone, as though that feeling, that bond, transcends anything else.

"P-please," Carlos breathes. "Please… feels so good…"

"Just let go," Kevin murmurs. "Just let go, we know what you need…"

"And _I_ know what _you_ need," Cecil says in Kevin's ear, well-aware that his tone alone will drive the other man wild. Knowing he needs it too; that he's been wound-up since the whole summoning incident yesterday.

He needs. They both need.

" _Ohyes_ ," Kevin gasps. "Cecil… please… _please_ …"

Something about that makes Carlos' eyes go even wider, and it's clear he's surprised by how easily Kevin switches between control and surrender. Surprised and evidently _very_ in favour.

"I'm so close," Carlos breathes, after another moment. "So close…"

Cecil smiles. "Then come for us."

Carlos doesn't need telling twice. He arches up under them – as much as is possible right now – as the first wave of bliss hits him, and then he cries out; holding tightly onto Kevin and quickly reaching to grip one of Cecil's hands as well as the climax overtakes.

In the midst of it, Kevin suddenly cries out, "Cecil… I… _please_ …"

"Don't you hold back either," Cecil tells him, and that undoes Kevin on the spot, his own climax hitting before Carlos has gone still. He all but howls in delight, shaking between the two of them, and by the time both men finally drop down against the bed they're gasping hard.

And so desperately beautiful. It only takes Cecil another moment to follow them over the edge; crying out their names as the pleasure blazes through him and then curling down against them once the waves start to fade.

"That… that was… no wonder I like to do _that_ often…" Carlos manages, and Cecil gives a soft, gentle laugh in response.

"You're not the only one," Kevin murmurs, still pressed against Carlos' chest.

It's a moment before they all finally move; extricating themselves from the tangle before curling up again in a rather more comfortable one.

"We're going to fix this," Cecil says, softly, as he and Kevin hold Carlos between them.

"We will," Kevin agrees. "It's who we are. It's what we do."

"I believe you," Carlos whispers, sounding a little overwhelmed, but in a good way. "I really do. And in the meantime… I have to say… you two are absolutely fascinating. So similar, and yet also not."

And he smiles. "Kind of like you're chiral."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When in doubt, fluffy smut! ;-)
> 
> Catch you all soon, dear readers... hopefully things should be back on track now!


	9. A Beautiful Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...OK, let's try this again, shall we? ;-)
> 
> So here's the thing with this chapter, dear readers: it's shorter than usual, for very deliberate reasons. This one and the next were supposed to be published together, but given that life remains hectic, I haven't gotten the second one finished yet and I'm aware it's been a while since the last one! That being the case, I figured I'd put this one out on its own, to remind you that I'm still here and this is still progressing, just a little slowly.
> 
> It does end on a rather abrupt cliffhanger, too. But if you've gotten this far, you're used to a few of those!

Having not gone to sleep until the middle of the night, Cecil, Kevin and Carlos stay in bed a little longer. But soon, they have to get up: not just to face the day, but more importantly, to work out what to do next.

Once they've had breakfast, Kevin calls Naomi. The three of them sit around the table in the kitchen, with very welcome cups of coffee, and Kevin puts his phone on speaker so they can all hear. He hasn't spoken to Naomi since he called her the previous afternoon, right after Carlos was taken, but Cecil knows Kevin sent her a message once they got back, saying that Carlos was OK but that they'd need to talk again in the morning.

"Hey, you," Naomi says, answering the call. "I got your text in the middle of the night. How's Carlos doing?"

"Physically, he's fine," Kevin replies. "He and Cecil are both here with me now. But there's a catch. And… and there's something you need to know, too."

His voice falters a little at that, and Cecil knows his double is worried about telling Naomi what happened. About Miriam, and Harper, and the summoning…

…although maybe he'll leave that part out. He's still very hesitant to talk about it.

"Tell me," Naomi pushes, gently.

"Carlos' memories of the last five and a half years have been wiped. Or… blocked, I think, given that they didn't have him long enough to do anything permanent."

"I see," Naomi replies. Her voice is level, but it's clear there's a lot going on under the surface. "Do you know how?"

"No," Kevin tells her. "But… Naomi… the people who took him… it was the Coven of the Sun, and there's more of them left than we thought."

Naomi curses softly. "Who's in charge of them now?"

"That's the problem," Kevin answers. "It's Miriam Lowell."

There's the sound of a second, louder curse in the background; unmistakably Darla. "Isn't that woman supposed to be dead?" she says, rather pointedly.

"At the Battle of Night Vale," Naomi confirms. "Quite a number of coven members were there that day – given it was meant to be the moment the Smiling God finally crossed over – and several were killed. Or, _allegedly_ they were. Miriam Lowell was listed among them."

"She's very much alive," Kevin says. "Seems to have gone off the deep end a little, though. She's got your mother's dagger, and her amulet. And she's taken to wearing a weird headdress made out of stag horns…"

"…Merciless Ozhen'ipleth," Naomi breathes. "Seriously?"

"I'm afraid so."

"And… Carlos?"

"He's here," Kevin says. "But he doesn't remember us. He thought it was still 2011. Naomi… do you know how to undo it? How to put his mind right?"

"I can look into it," Naomi replies. "It's not something I claim to know much about, but I'm confident I can find something in my library that might–"

"I can do it," Darla interjects, suddenly. Excitedly, almost.

Cecil feels his heart leap. "You can?" he says.

"Yes," Darla replies, sounding confident. "Yes. I can do it."

Across the table, Carlos' eyes go wide, and there's so much hope in them.

"How?" Naomi asks, clearly intrigued.

"See, necromancy isn't just all raising the dead," Darla starts out, far too calmly, and her words make Carlos' eyes go even wider. "I mean, that's a big part of it, sure, but it's much more complex than that. It's about life as much as death. About energy. About _minds_. And there's a ritual – it's Ancient Egyptian – that I'm confident would fix this. There's just one catch."

"A catch?" Kevin repeats. "What kind of catch?"

"The ritual involves a mind-link," Darla explains. "I would perform it in order to link one of you – or both of you – to Carlos' mind whilst you're unconscious. It would then be up to you to undo the damage from within."

"Wait, what?" Cecil interjects, half-confused and half-alarmed. "How?"

"Well, I've never tried it myself, but I've read up on it, and I have an acquaintance who performed it once," Darla replies. "Successfully, I might add. It involves invoking the Ancient Egyptian deity Khonsu, god of the moon, dreams and astral projection, and putting the participants into a kind of shared dreamspace based within one of their minds. From what I've heard, you'd experience it as a kind of lucid dream but much stronger. It would feel like you were awake, but in a very different place."

By this point, Carlos is just staring and staring. He looks like he wants to say something but can't get the words out. Kevin reaches over and grips his hand, obviously trying to look reassuring before he speaks again.

"Is it safe?"

"…It's a mental link powered by an ancient deity," Darla points out, deadpan. "So… no. But it's also not super-dangerous. Not by our standards, at least! I can do it. Trust me."

"Carlos?" Cecil says, softly. "What do you think?"

The other man's eyes are still wide, but there's determination in them now. "If you think it will work… I'll do it. I want my life back. I want… I want the two of you back."

"We can come to you this morning," Naomi now chips in. "If you want to do this, the sooner the better. We don't know what else Miriam and her allies are planning. And we still don't know what's really going on with all those strangers, but sightings of them are increasing more and more. Whatever it is… it's going to come to fruition soon."

And oh, but isn't that ominous? Cecil tries not to think about it too much, because he has more immediate concerns, but he knows it isn't going to go away.

"One thing at a time," Kevin replies, though from his expression, he's clearly thinking the same as Cecil. "Come over as soon as you can. We'll be ready."

***

Ready, yes, but clearly nervous.

All three of them are visibly on edge as they wait. They sit in the living room, talking to pass the time, but all really thinking about what's to come.

Darla's idea sounds insane. And impossible. At least, it does until your life includes intense energy-manipulation powers, demon-summoning and pan-planar corporations hellbent on ending the world. Then it's not so much impossible as _challenging_.

"This… this is a good idea, right?" Carlos asks, finally.

"Yes," Kevin tells him, managing to sound surprisingly confident. "Darla is one of my oldest and closest friends, and I trust her to do this. If she thinks it can work, then it's worth trying."

"And is she _actually_ a necromancer?"

"Oh yes," Kevin adds. "For most of her life. She's very good at it."

"Are there _many_ necromancers?"

"No. It's definitely a niche discipline."

"So… she can re-animate the dead?"

"Sure she can," Kevin replies. "I've seen her do it. More than once. It's… graphic."

It's at this point that – in keeping with the universe's rules on timing – there's a knock at the door, which makes Carlos jump more than a little. Kevin looks almost apologetic, and he heads out into the hallway to let their guests in.

"Hey Naomi," they can hear him saying. "Hey D– whoa, that's quite an outfit…"

"I thought you might be impressed," Darla replies, with an audible grin.

And, as Kevin paces back into the living room with Naomi and Darla in tow, it's clear what caused the reaction. Naomi is dressed in one of her usual trouser-suits, but Darla is wearing her ritual gear: a sleeveless black robe, streaks of blue and white body paint on her face and arms, and an elaborate golden headdress depicting a snake curled around the moon.

"Whoa," Cecil has to concur. "That's actually pretty awesome."

"Thanks!" Darla tells him, brightly. "Headdress weighs a tonne, but it _does_ look badass. Plus, it helps me get in the mood, you know?"

"I suppose it would," Cecil agrees. "So, Carlos… this is Naomi and Darla. They're good friends of ours, and you can trust them."

Carlos still looks nervous, but he nods.

"There's… something I need to tell you before we do this," Kevin says, suddenly, as if he's been trying to make himself do it. "The person who grabbed Carlos in the first place, the one from the Coven of the Sun, it was… it's…"

He pauses, taking a deep breath. "It's my brother," he goes on. "Hunter's double. His name is Harper."

Even the nigh-unshakeable Darla seems shocked by this, though it's Naomi who speaks first. "Merciless Ozhen'ipleth," she breathes. "I always wondered if Hunter would turn out to have a double, but given his circumstances… there was just no way to know."

"I thought the same," Kevin answers, softly. "I tried not to dwell on it. And then… then it turned out I _do_ have a long-lost brother. And he's working for Miriam. He's with them."

"Do you know what happened to him?" Naomi asks.

Kevin nods. "A little. He disappeared when he was eighteen, the same as Hunter… maybe it was even the same thing that took him. But, unlike Hunter, he didn't get out of intraplanar space so fast. He was stuck there for ten years."

"Ten years?" Naomi repeats, sounding a mixture of horrified and impressed. "He was able to survive that long?"

"Apparently so," Kevin replies. "Eventually, he managed to get through an old oak door… and ended up in your father's vault, under the Strexcorp HQ tower."

"Talk about terrible luck," Darla remarks, in the middle of forming a ritual circle out of a long coil of pale blue rope on the living room floor.

"And my father… he knew who Harper was?"

"He did," Kevin says. "Your father apparently had him put into hiding – no doubt to use against me if he ever needed to – and off Harper went, to serve Strexcorp in secret. And now, all these years later, he's allied with Miriam."

"And… you believe his story?" Naomi pushes. "You think he did it all of his own volition?"

Kevin looks conflicted. "Well… yes and no. I _want_ to believe he was being controlled somehow. That he still is. But it would have to be something that's still active. The Bloodstone is gone, and if he was soul-bound to your father, the bind would have broken a year ago."

"There could be another explanation," Naomi points out.

"I know," Kevin says, softly. "I just… don't want to get my hopes up. I can't. If I do, and it turns out he really _is_ loyal to Strex-that-was…"

He trails off, looking agonised, and Cecil immediately steps closer, putting a hand on Kevin's shoulder.

"Whatever happened, we'll figure it out," Naomi says, firm and determined. "And we'll fix it."

"We will," Cecil agrees, tightening his hand on Kevin's shoulder. "It's what we do, remember?"

"I hope so," Kevin says. "For now, we need to concentrate on this ritual. How long will it take?"

"Likely several hours," Darla replies. "Or, it will for you. Initiating it will only take moments, but the three of you – I'm assuming it's all three? – will be under for some time. Part of the ritual involves me putting your physical forms into a kind of suspended animation, so you won't get hungry or thirsty or anything else like that, and so you won't wake until you initiate it."

"We initiate it?" Cecil repeats. "How?"

"Well, from what I've read, different people's dreamscapes manifest in different ways," Darla explains. "But most commonly, they're like huge, complex buildings, with a multitude of rooms and corridors. To wake, you just find an exit door. The dreamscape will know when you're looking for one, so it should show up reasonably quickly when you start looking. Go through that door, and you'll wake up back here. And hey, knowing you three, you can bet it's going to look old and oak."

"How long could we be in there for?" Kevin asks.

"Technically, any length of time," Darla replies. "You'll be in suspended animation, so your bodies won't be at risk. I don't know precisely how the dreamscape will direct you towards fixing Carlos' memories, but it will. It will know what you want. Most likely you'll be in there for a few hours."

"…We're going to miss Liberation Day," Kevin points out.

"We can delay this, if you want…" Carlos chips in, and Kevin immediately looks guilty.

"I don't want to delay this," he says. "It's more important. But… what about the two of you?" And he looks at Naomi and Darla.

"We can go away and come back," Darla replies. "Once the ritual is initiated, my part in it is done. So we can leave you essentially sleeping and come back later."

"Is that safe?" Cecil has to ask.

Darla shrugs. "No reason why not. Especially now you've got the house warded. Why don't we do that as standard?"

"Because it lights the place up like a Christmas tree to extra-planars," Naomi points out. "Normally, I'd only recommend it to protect summoning spaces. But with those strangers popping up everywhere… it's a sensible precaution. And it will certainly keep you safe here whilst you're under."

"All right," Cecil says. He knows it still won't be _safe_ -safe, but they've covered all the key bases. And he turns to Carlos. "Are you ready to do this?"

Carlos still looks very unsettled, but he nods resolutely. "Yes," he says. "Yes, I'm ready."

Darla claps her hands together, a bright smile on her face. "Perfect! This shouldn't be too much of a challenge to do… I mean, I've invoked Khonsu before for other things. And he's comparatively benevolent. It's not like I'm trying to call on Medjed the Smiter…"

She trails off, looking a weird mixture of alarmed and wistful and, catching Cecil staring a little, grins even more. "Don't ask!" she adds, and Cecil takes the hint. "Now, I need the three of you to lie down in the ritual circle with your heads close together at the centre."

So they do, strange though it is; lying as if at the ten, twelve and two o'clock positions on a clock face (though mercifully without the weird grey creatures that Carlos is so fascinated by), with their heads together at the centre. As they're getting into position, Darla puts a hand on Kevin's arm, and her expression is a strange one: heavy with a kind of emotional honesty that she rarely shows.

"Carlos' mind will be the focus," she says. "But all three of you will be linked, which means you could wander into Cecil's or yours as well. So… just be careful. The mind is astonishingly complex, and the truth is… no memory is ever _completely_ gone."

The air is heavy at that. Kevin puts his hand over Darla's, and nods. "I'll be careful," he promises, very softly.

Cecil tries not to dwell on what this means. But… he knows, all the same.

Kevin finishes lying back, and Darla moves to kneel just above where their heads meet, holding out her hands.

_"Hear me, Khonsu, Lord of the Moon, Guardian of travellers beyond the physical, Keeper of the Astral Paths. Hear me and heed me; grant to your grateful supplicant the power to unite the minds of these three, that their own journey may be a successful one."_

The air goes cool: not hostile cold but the softer cool of a desert night, and the room seems to darken, save for a spiral of blue-white light coiling around each of Darla's outstretched arms.

_"Hear me, Khonsu, Pathfinder, Defender, and open the Astral Gates within; that mind shall become space, that thought shall take form. Lay a path of star-shaped stones to guide these sojourners onwards, to the hinterlands where light and darkness meet."_

The room gets darker even as the blue-white light brightens, and Cecil can feel a heavy weariness sinking down over his whole body.

_"Hear me, Khonsu! Hear me, Khonsu! Hear me, and open the gates!"_

There's a sound like a thousand windchimes dropping to the floor, a renewed rush of cool air, and then all of reality smash-cuts to white…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Incidentally, if you fancy being amused and/or gently horrified, try looking up Medjed the Smiter on Wikipedia. I promise you won't be disappointed!
> 
> And coming up next... oh, dear readers, now that _would_ be a spoiler... ;-)


	10. A Chapter About You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You notice a fic you follow has posted another update. You look at the opening notes to see what might be in store, and whether the author has gotten her act together yet with regards to the timing of these updates. But then you realise that something is different today.
> 
> You are intrigued. You read on...

_'This is a chapter about you'_ , read the words on the digital screen, and you are confused, because this is not the way these things usually work…

You blink. You blink again. You're standing in a strange, shimmering room, holding your cellphone in your hand and staring at the screen. There's words on the screen – _these_ words – and that's odd, because none of the weird things it's ever done have been like this.

You lower the phone, look to your left, and see Kevin; standing a few metres away and staring upwards. What he's looking at is in some ways the ceiling and in others the sky: both at once, and yet neither all the same.

"Where are we?" you ask, your eyes meeting his.

"I don't know," he replies, soft and perplexed; the way he sounds first thing in the morning when he hasn't fully woken yet. "Weren't we just..?"

Something about that jogs your mind enough, and an image hits you: a spiral of blue-white light, coiled like a snake, and you remember.

"…Darla," you say. "She performed the ritual to link us. We're… Kevin… I think we're inside Carlos' mind."

"Oh," Kevin breathes, clearly remembering too. "Yes. Yes. I remember. But… where is he?"

You feel a jolt of alarm at that, like a leaden weight dropping into the pit of your stomach. "I don't know," you reply. "Shouldn't he be here with us?"

"Perhaps we have to find him," Kevin suggests, looking around more; hand drifting instinctively to the base of his back, where his beautiful silver knife is sheathed. "Perhaps that's the point."

"Then we should start looking," you say, nodding towards the room's single door.

But what will you find when you do? That, you don't know. You've done many strange things in your life, but you've never walked in another person's mind, and you have no idea what to expect. It is _Carlos'_ mind, though, so at least it should be safe. Although…

…what did Darla mean by the warning she gave to Kevin, just before the ritual? It had seemed like she was suggesting you could get into his mind, or your own, as well… and that there are things in Kevin's mind he should avoid.

You know, deep down, that this is true. That your double has been through things – terrible things – he still doesn't remember. Things he thinks he can never remember, but which are perhaps not so lost as he's been lead to believe.

It is important that he doesn't remember these things. You know this, too.

You realise at this point that you've let your own thoughts wander for a moment, and Kevin is now looking at you again. "What is it?" he asks, soft and concerned.

He reads you so well. But then, he is your double.

"Nothing," you try to lie, and then immediately think better of it. "Except…"

This makes Kevin step in closer, taking your hands. His own are warm as he holds yours against his chest, and it feels so real that, if you didn't know better, you'd think you were awake. "Tell me," he pushes, but gently; the way he does when he knows how much something matters.

You look down for a second, because it's easier, and then up again, because it's probably best to know exactly how Kevin reacts when you answer. "That warning Darla gave you, right before the ritual. Do you think..?"

Kevin gives a tiny little sigh: not annoyance or resignation, no, but more like… _guilt_. And you hate that, of course you hate that: not that he feels it, but that he's left thinking he has to. That what he went through for so many years will never totally be gone.

"…Re-education is permanent," he replies, but it's more a mantra than a statement of belief. "Whatever I don't remember… I don't remember. I _won't_ remember."

This is not what Darla implied, but you worry about drawing even more attention to it, in case that in itself makes something happen in here.

"All right," you concede, gripping Kevin's hands tightly for a moment. "Then we'll just be careful. For now, we need to find Carlos."

He nods, fingertips stroking over yours as you both let go, and then turns back to the strange room's single door. The room itself continues to defy true description: clearly shaped, with lines and angles, and yet – at the same time – formless and infinite.

Except for the door, which looks utterly real, and fixed; and feels it, too, when you reach out and touch the handle. What the door _doesn't_ look is old or oak: instead, it seems more like the kind of door you might see in a university or large public building.

A science lab, perhaps.

You meet eyes with Kevin once more, and then push the door handle down, letting the door itself click open. As it swings back, you're faced with a completely different sight ahead to the one behind, and _this_ is closer to what you expected. And, at the same time… not.

The room beyond, as the door implied, is a science lab of some kind. It's vast, too: so vast that you can't quite see the edges of it, as though it stretches off into the far distance at all sides. Filling the space are row upon row of workbenches, and filling the workbenches are lines of lit bunsen burners, each with an erlenmeyer flask clamped above it. Each flask contains a coloured liquid – though the colours vary from flask to flask – which is bubbling away, and set on the workbench beside each is a notebook filled with numbers.

And you know the room. You've never seen it before, but you've heard Carlos describe it: the day of the incident with the condos, over two and a half years ago. This is what Carlos saw. This is what Carlos saw when he touched the featureless black surface of the condo… and you wonder what it means that the place still exists inside his mind.

Your heart races a little faster.

"This is… actually, this is pretty much what I was expecting," Kevin remarks, as the door closes behind you both.

It isn't a surprise that he hasn't made the same connection you have. He's heard the story about the condos, but it's not the same if you weren't there on the day, listening to Carlos' phonecall and suddenly terrified you were about to lose him.

Again.

You don't mention it, though. This experience is strange and alarming enough, and besides, you still feel a little guilty when you talk about the things that happened when it was just you and Carlos. You know you shouldn't, because things are the way they should be now, and because you don't mind at all when you hear stories about a time when it was just Kevin and Carlos.

On the contrary. You like those stories. They're adorable. But somehow you still worry, if it's the other way around.

All of a sudden, there's a sound off to the right: a soft movement, and footsteps. Both of you turn in unison, and you see him, there, about sixty or seventy feet away. It's Carlos. He's wearing a white labcoat – which is not surprising – and right now he's intently watching one of the bubbling erlenmeyer flasks, scrawling something in the closest notebook every few seconds.

You wonder precisely what you're seeing, and your heart starts to race at the possibilities. Is this _actually_ Carlos, _your_ Carlos? Is this a Carlos who still doesn't remember you? Or… is this something else entirely?

Kevin is clearly feeling a similar caution to your own. He glances at you and then takes a step forward, closer to the labcoated figure. "Carlos?" he says; a waver in his voice that is all hope and apprehension intertwined. "Carlos, it's us."

There's a long, drawn-out moment in which nothing happens. Carlos doesn't react, as if he hasn't heard or even noticed you at all; continuing his intent focus on the bubbling flask and the book of numbers. Eventually, Kevin takes another step forward and speaks again, sounding rather more urgent this time.

"Carlos? It's us. We're here."

Carlos seems to jump at this, finally turning to look at you both. His beautiful brown eyes go wide as he does, almost as if he genuinely wasn't aware of your presence until this moment, and is startled by it.

"Oh," he says, as if trying to sound nonchalant and unaffected, even though it's clear this is not the case. "Oh. Yes, you are. Hello."

Something about all this is clearly not right, and you feel a little cold with alarm. There's no recognition in his voice, and it's like that awful moment when you first found him in the prison underneath the black site, and you realised what had happened.

"We're here to help," Kevin says, taking yet another step forward, and this time Carlos seems to back off instinctively in response.

"I… see," is Carlos' reply, as he tries to subtly set the notebook back on the workbench without looking like he is. Even though you couldn't possibly miss it. "Well. I… have to go…"

He turns at once, flitting away between the rows of workbenches and disappearing from sight. Both you and Kevin react immediately, hurrying after him and heading through the same gap, but the instant you do, you realise that Carlos – or, at least, what you had perceived to be Carlos – is gone.

You both stop dead, staring around. You're still surrounded by workbenches – now on all sides – and the door you came in through is completely hidden from view. Or, perhaps, gone entirely.

Your heart is starting to race. "Carlos?" you call out, and you're sure you've had _this_ nightmare before. "Carlos, it's us, you don't have to worry."

But there's no sign of him, and no movement beyond the bubbling of the erlenmeyer flasks all around, filling the air with a low, irregular thrum.

"Where did he go?" Kevin wonders aloud, hand drifting back to where his knife is sheathed again. You know the reaction is instinctive; that it's what he does when he's feeling threatened, and your own response is to put a hand on your double's shoulder, trying to calm him.

"I don't know," you say, trying to stamp down the rising alarm inside and keep your reactions level. "Let's keep looking."

The vast room is a paradox: simultaneously silent and loud, simultaneously still and moving, and your every footfall seems alien within it, as if the space itself knows you don't belong here.

But you don't, of course. And that fact is starting to concern you.

Footstep after footstep, and still nothing. You stay close to Kevin, instinctively aware that splitting up would be a very bad idea, and keep moving slowly and carefully, looking around in the hope of finding Carlos again. The air itself has a weight to it, heavy with the scent of burning, but also a more distant edge of chalk, and – despite everything else – you can't help marvelling again at how real this all seems.

Maybe it _is_ real. Just… a different kind of real.

Something makes you turn – a sound perhaps, or maybe just a feeling – and you jump a little as you look back, realising that the path you're taking is changing as you go. It's subtle, yes: there are still workbenches behind you, and they're still lined with bubbling flasks, but you know that they're different now. The liquids have all changed colour, and the gaps between rows of benches are no longer in the same place.

You shiver, and opt not to mention it.

For several moments, you both keep going, but there's no sign of anything or anyone beyond those ever-repeating benches… at least until, all of a sudden, you hear a voice from much lower down.

"Hello there."

You and Kevin both stop, looking in the direction of the voice, and your heart jumps with surprise when you realise there's a small child staring up at you. It's a boy, aged around six, with dark skin and tousled black hair, and very wide eyes. He's wearing a tiny labcoat with what look like crayon marks all over the sleeves, and holding a plastic raygun.

Slowly, you kneel down to look the child in the eyes. "Hello," you say, carefully. "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" the child counters. "You shouldn't be here. This isn't the right place."

That makes you glance up at Kevin, before returning your attention to the child. "Oh?" you say. "Do you know where we should go?"

"No," says the boy, matter-of-factly. "But… I know where I should go."

And he turns at once, ducking down under the closest workbench and crawling away, out of sight. For a moment, you think he's gone, and then you hear a shout.

"Are you coming too?"

You and Kevin exchange a glance. On the one hand, you feel a very strong desire to keep searching the giant, flask-filled room. But, on the other, you're confident there's a reason why an intensely-adorable child-Carlos is calling out to you to follow.

"We've done stranger things," Kevin points out, with a little smile.

"Not much," you counter, though you're smiling too, because you know both of you are in agreement.

And, bizarre though it seems, you duck down and start to crawl under the workbench: you first, and Kevin right behind. You can see the small child up ahead, crawling along with his little plastic raygun, and then it's as if the world around you has shifted, and you're no longer under workbenches.

"Oh, this is weird," Kevin murmurs.

He's not wrong. You're now crawling along a strange sort of tunnel made out of draped blankets and chairs: oddly claustrophobic, and yet at the same time not at all threatening. Up ahead, the small child stops, which means both of you have to stop as well, and it seems like the boy is waiting for something. Or… hiding?

"Carlos?" calls another voice, from beyond the blanket-walls; a voice which is also that of a small boy. "Carlos, I'm going to find you."

Tiny Carlos curls into a ball, as if this might somehow make him harder to locate. Which it really won't. And then he holds his breath, clearly trying not to give himself away, only it doesn't quite work because after ten seconds or so, he needs to breathe again, and the little gasping noise he makes is very difficult to miss.

"I'm going to find you!" calls the other voice, and there's more movement beyond the blankets, as the speaker gets closer. Seconds later, the blanket immediately ahead of tiny Carlos is pulled back, and another face peers in.

"Found you!" declares tiny Tomas, with the brightest smile. "My turn!"

"Awwww, but I want to hide again!" tiny Carlos replies, as he scrambles out of the den to join his equally-miniature twin. "Or we could play superheroes. I found my ray gun!"

"Yeah!" tiny Tomas enthuses. "The adventures of Science Boy and Secret Agent Boy!"

"Saving the whole universe from their hidden fortress on the moon!"

By this point, you and Kevin have climbed out of the blanket-den, though neither of the young twins seems to realise you're there. The space beyond is a large living room: tidy and elegant, save for the giant den built in the middle of it.

"Boys!" comes a voice from just outside the room: a warm, bright voice that immediately makes you feel good. "Are you behaving yourselves in there?"

"Yes, Mom!" both twins reply, in unison.

The door opens, and a woman peers in, and you jump when you realise you're looking at Carlos' mother. You don't know a great deal about her, but you do know that she died when Carlos was a teenager, and that he loved her very much. She paces into the room, glancing around, and as she smiles you can immediately see the resemblance. The twins may look more like their father, but they have their mother's smile.

"Oh, I see you've been busy," their mom says, her voice patient and amused, and you like her immediately.

"We built a moon base!" tiny Tomas enthuses. "And now we're going to save the world!"

Their mother smiles even more, kneeling down to gather the two twins in close. "I bet you are," she says. "My brilliant boys."

"I love you, Mom," tiny Carlos says, and kisses her cheek.

"I love you too, _mijo_ ," his mother replies. "Both of you."

The three of them hug tightly for a moment, and then tiny Carlos looks back at you; really _looks_ at you, and it's as if he's suddenly remembered you're there.

"I'm still hiding," he says. "Just not here."

The scene seems to freeze, and off to the left, you're aware that there's a door which wasn't visible a moment ago. Tiny Carlos points to it.

"You should keep looking. I like to be found. Sometimes I need it."

"…This is _really_ weird," Kevin manages.

"Seconded," you say; now looking at the new door more carefully. "We should keep going."

"Even if this is _super_ -cute to watch."

You smile. "I know, right?

The two of you approach the door. It looks like the one that led you into the room full of erlenmeyer flasks, except it's a darker colour, and you're sure it's going to open on somewhere different.

You reach out, and touch the handle. It's cold: colder than you might have expected, had you thought about it in advance. You push it open, and there's a chill beyond it that spills towards you at once, accompanied by a sharpness like the scent of dry ice.

"…That's… a little alarming," you remark, but you know you have to keep going. You step through the door with Kevin right at your heels, but the space beyond doesn't seem to actualise until you're in it.

And then… you see a dark, square room, with concrete walls, and the instant you do, you feel your stomach lurch. This is the cell under the old Strex black site, where you found Carlos; a place you would prefer never to see again.

"I've changed my mind," Kevin says, in that tone which is supposed to sound light, but doesn't if you really know him. "We should go back."

But, when you turn, the door is gone. And then, worse, when you turn again, the formerly-empty cell no longer is, and you find you can't move; as if you're frozen to the spot.

Ahead of you, you see Carlos: adult once more, with his wrists chained above him, facing away from you. Miriam Lowell is here too, with Harper at her side, and you can feel how Kevin reacts to that: half-anger and half-grief.

"S-stop," you hear Carlos say, fear and defiance in his voice, and your stomach lurches with the need to act, to intervene. But you can't. You can't move at all, and it's terrifying.

"Oh, scientist, I have barely begun," Miriam replies, smoothly. She looks as she did when you met her: orange-robed and wearing that bizarre headdress with the stag horns, and carrying the glittering golden dagger that makes your blood go cold…

…because you've seen it before, seen _yourself_ with it before, and you know what it wants you to become.

"Now," Miriam says, "let's try this again. Tell us what you know about the strangers."

"I won't tell you _anything_ ," Carlos retorts, and you love him for his strength, and you hate the fact that you weren't there to save him from this.

Miriam sighs, and looks sideways at Harper. "Perhaps he needs some encouragement," she suggests.

"Allow me," Harper answers, graciously, and he backhands Carlos sharply across the jaw.

You yell in alarm and rage, desperately trying to launch forwards, but you still can't move. It's a horrible, horrible feeling: a helplessness that leaves your stomach leaden and your blood burning, and your hands start to glow as the power coursing through you flares over and over, with no way to ground itself.

The three people ahead of you don't react, though, and it's clear that – once more – they can't see or hear you. You're not a part of this scene. Just… a helpless witness.

"Violence won't make a difference," Carlos gasps, his shoulders tensing visibly. "I won't tell you a thing. And my husbands will _destroy you_ when they find me. And they _will_ find me."

Miriam gives a soft little laugh. "Oh, scientist, you really are _such_ a disappointment. I've spent _years_ preparing for all this, and the best you can manage is a few little threats?"

"They're not little," Carlos throws back. "Or threats. They're _promises_. Do you even know what my husbands have done? The things they've achieved? What they're capable of? Either one of them could wipe the floor with you without breaking a sweat. But you don't have to take my word for it. You'll get front-row seats all too soon."

Your chest swells with pride at that, even through the anguish, but it's a short-lived joy because – after exchanging another look with Miriam – Harper backhands Carlos across the jaw again.

"You should watch your tone," he says, sharply. "You're talking to the leader of the Coven of the Sun. The heir of Susan Hartley."

"No, see, the heir of Susan Hartley is happily ruling her dad's kingdom on the First Infernal Plane," Carlos points out. "But only because my husbands let her live when they were done with her father."

" _Stop_ ," you hear Kevin gasp at your side, even before Harper has landed the third blow on Carlos. You can only just see your double's face, but he's gone very pale, and you know you need to get out of here for both your sakes. Carlos' too, if this is an active memory and not just an echo.

"None of this matters anyway," Miriam says, coolly. "Your precious traitor-husbands won't be a threat even when they _do_ get here, because they'll have other things to contend with… such as the fact that you won't even know who they are."

"…What?" Carlos exclaims, and the sudden, renewed fear in his voice makes your chest ache all the more. "You… you can't do that… I…"

Miriam laughs again. "Of course I can. I'm _the heir of Susan Hartley_."

She holds out the dagger, reaching forward with her other hand and touching Carlos' forehead. The air goes colder still, and you can feel the power coursing through it, and you know that even though Miriam's strength doesn't match your own, it's still formidable. There's a _snap_ of white light, and suddenly both you and Kevin are standing in the passageway beyond the cell.

And you can move freely again. The instant he processes this, Kevin launches himself at the door with a low howl of rage, yanking it open and stalking inside…

…but the cell is empty once more. Kevin stops dead, staring at the space where he'd obviously expected to find Carlos, Miriam and Harper; his shoulders shaking a little as he tries to suppress his reaction to the sudden shift in reality.

"It's just a memory," you try to remind him, softly; stepping in close behind him and putting a hand on his waist. "We can't change what happened."

"I know," Kevin replies, his tone unnaturally flat, as if he's suppressing everything. "I just… wanted…"

"I know," you echo, moving closer still and wrapping your arms around him from behind. He doesn't resist, though you can feel how tense he is, and how much he's shaking from the effort of holding back all that emotion. "We're going to find him. We'll find him, and we'll get out of here, and _then_ we'll find Miriam and Harper, for real."

All Kevin seems able to do at that is nod, as if he doesn't quite dare say anything in case he jinxes it. You hold on tighter, trying to let the contact reassure you as well; the previous few minutes having shaken you badly.

"We should get out of here," you say, after a moment. "We still need to find Carlos, remember? The _real_ Carlos."

Kevin takes a deep breath. "Yes," he replies. "Yes."

So you turn from the door, and start walking down the passage. The facility looks exactly as you remember it, and you can only hope you find a way out soon, because being here is not helping. Not at all.

And then… then you pass a turning to the left, and you know, instinctively, that it _wasn't_ there when you saw this place in reality. You feel a shiver run through you again, and then a sudden lurch in the stomach as you catch the scent of blood.

But it's _nothing_ compared to the way Kevin reacts. He freezes to the spot, staring down the new corridor as if he's seen a ghost.

"What is it?" you ask.

Kevin doesn't speak. He doesn't move. But you can _feel_ the terror radiating off him; stronger than you've sensed in… well. In a year.

There's light at the end of the corridor: bright, orange light, which pushes at the backs of your eyes, firm and aggressive. And then you see a figure silhouetted against that light… the figure of a tall man, with a silver knife in his hand.

Your blood goes cold at the sight of him.

"Everything will be fine in the end, Kevin," says Derek Hartley.

The mere sound of his voice makes your blood burn with the need to act: with the urge to charge down that corridor and _attack him_ , and show him what happens to people who hurt _your_ double, and…

Kevin is pacing closer to the light; slow and steady, like he's drawn to it, and a new kind of fear overtakes you.

"Kevin," you say, urgently. "Kevin, what are you doing?"

"I need to know, Cecil," he replies. "I need to know what happened. What he did to me. All of it. Because… here. It happened here. I know it did. I can feel it in my blood, like a connection snapping into place. Like… a hand on my throat, pulling me down…"

"Stop," you gasp, gripping his shoulder. "Kevin, this isn't real. This isn't real, and you _don't_ want to remember those things. Remember what Darla said, about us being able to slip into each other's minds. This is something in your mind, trying to derail us. Trying to hurt you."

It's more than that, though. This is the memories still locked inside Kevin's head, and they're trying to get out.

"I need to know," Kevin murmurs again, still staring at the light spilling down the corridor, and the figure silhouetted at the very end. "I need to know what he did to me. I need the memories he stole from me."

You move around in front of Kevin, hand on his chest now, trying to block his view of the light. "You don't," you counter. "You have everything back. Everything, except what you went through during re-education. And you don't want that. You don't _ever_ want that."

You know, rationally, that he doesn't. But in here, faced with the idea of _answers_ , it must feel very different.

"He's still inside my head, Cecil," Kevin breathes. "He's still inside my head, and it must be for a reason. I need to know. Just… just let me find out. Let me see what happened."

"You don't want that," you urge again, but Kevin tries to take a step forward, and you find yourself trying to hold him back.

And, as you do, there's another sound from the far end of the glowing corridor… a scream. A scream that is, unmistakably, Kevin himself. He falters, no longer pushing against your grip, but still staring down towards the light as if caught by it.

"…They did things to me," he says, voice little more than a whisper. "Here. To make me obey. To make me forget. They… I… _He_ …"

"I know," you reply, urgent and desperate; heart aching at the sight of your husband in so much pain. "I know. But you won, Kevin. You won, and you don't have to remember those things. You don't need them."

"Doesn't he?" comes that voice from the end of the glowing corridor. "But the truth is here. The whole truth. Every missing moment. You can both see."

"Neither of us wants to!" you retort, anger flaring in your tone as you glance over your shoulder. "Go back to Hell!"

"Oh, but I've already been, Cecil," the echo of Derek Hartley says. "Don't you remember?"

You're not sure what he means by this, but right now you don't care. No, more than that, you actively don't want to know. Rationally, you're aware this is just a memory, a shadow, but _emotionally_ , it's hard to control your response to it. Your _need_ to hurt the man who hurt Kevin so very much.

You're glad that Kevin killed him in reality. But part of you wishes that you had been the one to do it instead.

You wonder what that makes you. What that would have made you.

Sometimes, it is better not to know.

"We don't want to hear another word from you," you declare, as fiercely as you can. " _Get out_."

And, without thinking about it, you raise a hand and send a wave of purple light racing down the corridor, towards the echo of Derek Hartley, and the angry orange glow. As it passes through them, both the figure and the glow vanish as if no more than smoke, fading away all at once.

The instant the light disappears, Kevin staggers, as though some invisible hold on him has been released. You catch him before he can fall to his knees, pulling him in close and holding on as tight as you can. For a long moment, he seems not to be processing what's going on, but then he gasps like he's just remembered to breathe, and holds onto you.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, and your heart aches.

"You don't have to apologise," you remind him. "It wasn't your fault. Darla warned us that things from our own minds might spill through, and you… you have bad things locked up in there. But they're gone now."

They'll never be truly gone, and you know it. But they can stay locked away forever; unable to cause Kevin any more pain.

"I know," he says, holding on even tighter. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"And you will never have to find out," you remind him.

You've said that many times. To him, and to Carlos. And you always mean it just as much.

"We need to keep going," you add, after a moment. "We still haven't found Carlos."

Kevin pulls back from the embrace, meeting your eyes. "I know," he says, taking a deep breath, and you can see that strange stillness settling over his expression again; a sign that he's letting his mind slip beyond the moment and focus on what needs to be done, no matter what.

It's a useful skill, to a point.

"Come on," you say, and both of you start walking.

As you do, some impulse makes you take your cellphone from your pocket again, staring at the words on the screen – _these_ words – as you do.

_'To be continued'_ , they say.

And, once again, everything smash-cuts to white…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been waiting AGES to finally do this chapter, and it was an absolute blast! There's more to come, too... after all, you haven't found Carlos yet...
> 
> Catch you all soon, dear radio hosts! ;-)


	11. A Chapter About Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You realise that odd fic you follow has posted another update. It doesn't usually update on a Sunday, but maybe you saw the author [tweet](https://twitter.com/ShadowSide_/status/1150118931316838401) about how it was almost done yesterday, and how something in it took her by surprise.
> 
> You brace yourself, and read on.

_'This is a chapter about him'_ , read the words on the digital screen, and you are hopeful, because it feels like an age since you were last together…

You blink. You blink again. You're standing in the open desert at night, holding your cellphone in your hand and staring at the screen. There's words on the screen – _these_ words – and that's reassuring, because it suggests you might be on the correct path.

You lower the phone, look to your right, and see Kevin; standing a few metres away and staring up at the dark sky. It's awash with stars and mysterious lights, and he seems captivated by it, lost in the view.

"Are you OK?" you ask, softly.

"I think so," he replies. His voice is a little distant, but honest all the same, though he keeps his eyes on the stars as he speaks. "I'm sorry about what happened before."

"Don't be," you insist, urgently; moving closer and stepping in behind him, so you can put your hands on his waist without blocking his view. "It's not as though you can control what we see in here."

"I know," Kevin answers. "But I'm sure neither of us wanted to hear _his_ voice ever again."

"You're not wrong," you remark. "Hopefully that's the last we'll see of him. Do you..?" You hesitate a moment, and then decide to ask anyway. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Your double puts his hands over yours, leaning back against you but keeping his eyes on the sky. "No," he says, softly; his tone equal parts determined and haunted. "No. He doesn't define me anymore. _You_ do. You, and Carlos."

"You define yourself," you whisper, even though you're touched by the words, and you hold on a little tighter.

The stillness and the silence seem to help, and it's a couple of moments before either of you moves or speaks again.

"Why do you think we're here?" Kevin says, finally; gesturing at the dark desert around you both. "And… where _is_ here? The stars are all wrong."

That's when you feel it: an awareness at the back of your mind, like something huge and imposing looming too close for comfort. You jump, letting go of Kevin, and turn – braced for an attack – only to find yourself instead staring up at a vast, lone mountain some way behind you.

A mountain, in the midst of an otherwise open plain, with a blinking light atop it; a light you know from experience to be itself atop a lighthouse.

And now you recognise it. "This is the Otherworld Desert," you say. "But why would Carlos' mind bring us here?"

"I don't know," Kevin replies, looking up as well. "And… why at night?"

"We only saw it like this once," you say, remembering. "After the Battle of Desert Bluffs, when we ended up here. Night fell when we were climbing the mountain. Or… whatever that thing purporting to be a mountain really is."

Because you know they're not real, of course.

"We were all together then," Kevin points out. "We'd been separated, but by the time it got dark, we'd met up again. So… maybe this is a good sign. Maybe this is some part of Carlos' mind trying to will us to find each other."

You would very much like to believe this and, for a moment, you do. But there's something else at work here, and you can feel it… something huge and overwhelming, like that mountain, and, maybe… something just as real.

"I hope so," you say, because you do; and then, because that other awareness is getting stronger, you add, "but… there's something else. I can feel it… in the ground, in the air… something huge, and overwhelming, and…"

The sense is getting stronger and stronger now, and Kevin steps in close again, meeting your eyes; his own filled with urgency.

"I can feel it too," he says. "It's immense, and… and _dangerous_ , and…"

In that instant, you become aware that there's something off to your left: something that wasn't here before. You and Kevin both turn, and you see it.

Standing in the midst of the dark, desert sands is a gate. A huge, old iron gate; technically two gates, which meet in the middle, with heavy, twisted metalwork and broad, strong gateposts.

An old iron gate, standing unsupported by any other structure.

Your blood goes cold at the sight of it, and at your side, Kevin grips your hand tight.

"What _is_ that?" he breathes. "It feels… _wrong_."

It does. The more you look at it, the more alarming it seems: like ice creeping across your soul. You can see through the gaps in the metalwork of the gates, but all that's there is the dark, desert vista beyond. Except… you know there's something more. Something you'd only see if you went up to those gates and opened them.

And that something… does not feel good.

"I don't know," you reply. "But it reminds me of the old oak doors, except… worse. _Bad_. Have you ever heard of something like this?"

Kevin shakes his head. "No. Other than a deliberately-opened planar gateway, the only way I know to cross between worlds is the old oak doors. I've never seen mention of… _old iron gates_."

"Could they be like the old oak doors?" you wonder. "Gateways to another plane?"

"It's more than likely. Though the old oak doors connect many different planes, whereas these gates… something about them makes me feel as though they lead to one place in particular."

"But why are we seeing them here? In Carlos' mind?"

"Maybe… he knows something about them," Kevin says, and there's a heaviness to his voice as he does. "Something he learned before his memories were blocked."

"You might be right," you agree. "Hopefully he can tell us more, when we find him."

A light starts to glow from behind the gates, but _only_ from behind them, as though its source is wherever the gates lead, and not the dark desert beyond. It's faint and distant at first, but slowly, gradually, it starts to intensify; to grow brighter, and brighter, and it _hurts_ as you look at it.

Your heart races at the sight, and instinct makes you back off.

"We need to go," you say. "We need to get away from that… whatever it is…"

"Agreed," Kevin concurs. "But where?"

As one, you look back, and then _up_.

"Mountain?" Kevin suggests.

You nod. "Mountain," you concur. "Or… whatever that thing is."

So you race off together, away from that glowing gate and towards the foot of the mountain. There's a path close by, leading upwards, and you start to follow it, and soon the gate is out of sight, and the air is dark again.

It's quite a relief. What's also a relief is the fact that it takes a lot less time to climb the mountain than it should. Doing this in reality took several hours. But here, it's as though every time you turn to look at the view, you're noticeably higher.

But if Carlos' mind wants to give you a shortcut, you won't complain.

Eventually – and much sooner than expected – you find yourselves emerging onto the plateau at the top of the mountain. Overhead, the strange stars are still glittering, though that old iron gate is no longer in sight on the plains below.

And ahead of you stands a lighthouse – _the_ lighthouse – stretching up towards the dark sky, with that single red light blinking atop it. The sight is filled with the weight of such memory, and you think once more about the last time you were here, in reality. Of how close you were to making it back home, thanks to the lighthouse, and to the angel-ex-machina waiting for you inside. (Except, of course, that angels aren't real.)

You wonder what might be in there now. "Should we go inside?" you say, gesturing towards the lighthouse door.

Kevin nods. "It seems logical. This is how we got home the last time. Although… Carlos isn't with us. And if he isn't here… maybe we _shouldn't_ go inside yet."

As if in answer, there's a sudden glow from beyond the lighthouse, where the craggy rocks of the plateau form up into what is technically the peak of the mountain. (Or it would be, if mountains were real. Which you still know they aren't.)

"Wait," Kevin breathes, obviously noticing it too. "What is _that?_ "

"I don't know," you reply. "But I feel like we ought to find out."

You meet eyes with your double, and he nods. "All right. Carefully, though. Not everything in here is trying to help us. It's almost as if whatever Miriam did to Carlos' mind is _active_ in here, and fighting back."

You have the same awareness. Whatever it is, you're sure _something_ made you wander into Kevin's mind before, and that same something wanted you to see the light behind the old iron gate. And… you wonder if you're looking at that light now.

But you can't let it hold you back. You're here for a reason, and you're not leaving until you've found him.

So you walk, the two of you, slowly, across the plateau and beyond the lighthouse. Beneath you, shadows flicker in and out of being: red, and then gone, over and over.

Beyond the lighthouse, that glow is still shining out from the craggy rocks, and as you get closer you can see that there's an opening in them, easily wide enough and high enough to get through. You pause, looking at it, before turning to Kevin again.

He doesn't even need you to say it, and all it takes is a nod in reply for you to have your answer. You can't stop now.

You go first, stepping through that opening in the rock and into the cavern beyond. Kevin follows very close behind, keeping contact with you, as though both of you are anchoring each other in reality. Or, at least, in whatever this purports to be. The last thing you want is for this place to try splitting you up.

The cavern glows with more of that odd light; its source wavering slightly so as to give the illusion of firelight flickering on the stone walls. You step a little further inside and that's when you see, on one of those walls, a drawing. Or… cave painting? You're not sure. It depicts a series of tiny triangles grouped together into a cloud. Or… a swarm?

"That's not a good sign," Kevin points out.

"I know," you reply.

But neither of you suggests turning back. Instead, you keep going, slowly and carefully, keeping contact with each other. The cavern passageway you're in opens out a little, becoming higher and broader, and starting to spiral slowly downwards. The pathway isn't too rocky, though; almost as if it was made that way. As if this place isn't entirely natural.

And soon, those weird cave paintings start to appear again, but each time they do, the triangles are bigger. And bigger. And as you look at them, your eyes start to hurt, the same way they hurt when you looked at the light glowing behind that gate. The same way they hurt when you looked at the light glowing from the end of that terrible, ominous corridor.

The same way they hurt two years ago, when you looked at the light that was… that _is_ … the Smiling God.

You still don't suggest turning back, though, and neither does Kevin. Carlos could be in here. And the Smiling God – or whatever it represents – could be what's keeping him trapped.

And you're not scared of it. You're not. You–

_A flash, in your mind. A figure, dressed in purple and cloaked in black and gold. A knife, a dagger, hilted with the sun and glittering in the light. A wave of awareness, of power, of knowledge._

_"You're not scared that something will happen to Kevin and Carlos. You're scared of what you're going to have to do to stop it."_

–fall to your knees, all at once, which makes Kevin cry out in alarm.

"Cecil!" he gasps, dropping down too and holding onto you. "Cecil, what is it?"

You've never told him. You've never told either of them. Not the whole of it. Not what you actually saw, that awful day in the bloodstone garden. You can't. And usually, that's OK, because it wasn't real, and because you won, and yet…

…and yet…

"…echoes," you whisper, closing your eyes. It hurts less when you close your eyes.

"Of what?"

"Of… possibilities."

Kevin may not know the details, but it's clear he understands all the same. "Bad ones?"

You nod. He wraps around you from behind, face in the crook of your neck. "You always pull me back," he says, softly, after a moment. "I can do the same, you know."

"I know." You do. You just don't want to put that pressure on him.

"Tell me," Kevin pushes, gently. "You've seen me at my worst. Nothing you can say will make me stop loving you."

"I… can feel what I could become," you admit, softly. Not wanting to tell the whole story, but not wanting to reject the offer of help either. "If I… if I gave in to my powers."

"You think I don't know what that's like?" Kevin replies, his own voice just as soft. "I may not be able to do the things you can do, but… I can still do things. Maybe more than I thought. Part of me wants to give in to it. To pull open the planes and make it so that no one hurts the people I love ever again. But if I did that, if I became that… it would be wrong. And I would always know it."

He's right, of course. You nod. "I know. It's just… I've seen it. More than once. Like it's… I don't know… destined to happen. Or something."

"Like you can't get away from it?"

You nod again, and Kevin holds you tighter.

"Nothing is set in stone," he whispers, after a moment. "You control your own destiny. You _could_ be lots of things. You choose what you _are_. You and Carlos taught me that."

You finally open your eyes again. It hurts when you do, and you can feel how much easier it would be to keep them closed. But… you don't.

"I love you so much," you say.

"I love you too," Kevin replies. "Now, come on. We need to keep moving. It feels like we're getting closer to the end of this."

So you stagger to your feet, and start walking again. The light grows gradually brighter as you do, and it never stops hurting. You see more of those cave paintings too, only now the triangles are even larger: some black, and some orange.

This is a bad place. There is no doubt in your mind about that.

You go deeper and deeper into the spiralling cavern, until eventually you emerge into a much larger chamber: wide and high, and painted all around with more of those vast triangles. They're all orange now, and looking at them – like the light – makes your head hurt. That light itself seems to fill the chamber, but with no obvious source, as if it _exists_ here, in the very air you breathe. Or… the air you perceive yourself to be breathing, at least, because none of this is real.

It helps to remind yourself of that. Especially because of how real it all feels.

There is a single figure in the centre of the chamber, and your heart leaps when you see that it's Carlos. He's standing still, hands behind his back, and though he seems like himself, something is very, very wrong.

"Carlos?" you say, softly. "Carlos, it's us."

Carlos looks up, and you go cold as you realise that his eyes are black as obsidian. At your side, Kevin grips your hand, and you can feel the horror radiating off him.

_"Hello, Cecil,"_ Carlos says, but it isn't his voice. Or… it is, but it isn't _just_ , as though someone else is speaking alongside him. Some _thing_ else, with a voice that makes the whole world ache. _"Hello, Kevin."_

"Carlos," Kevin says, urgency in his tone. "Is it you? Are you OK?"

_"He is here,"_ Carlos says, still resonant with that other-presence. _"But **I** am talking right now. I have waited too long to speak to you and, at last, you **will** listen."_

You feel like your blood is cold all the way through; your stomach leaden and your head spinning. "Who are you?" you demand, as firmly as you can manage.

Carlos smiles, and just as the voice is not truly his voice, the smile is not truly his smile. _"You know who I am. I am the Ceaseless Light. I am the Unending Power. I am the Summer-Without-End. **I am the Smiling God**."_

"That's not possible," you insist. "None of this is real. At best, you're a _projection_ of the Smiling God."

_"Are you so sure? You are no expect on mental links. And you do not know precisely what my acolytes did to your fragile little scientist when they had him. But I do. I was there. I was watching. I see through the eyes of my priestess, as once I saw through the eyes of her great predecessor. As, one day soon, I shall see through yours."_

"I will _never_ let that happen," you retort, as fiercely as you can.

_"You will. More than that, you will ask for it. You will welcome it. All of your paths lead to me, Cecil Palmer. Some are longer than others, some more painful than others. But all have the same destination."_

"I will never let _that_ happen," Kevin echoes, gripping your hand tight.

_"Kevin Palmer. You have come so very far. There is still room for you at my side, if you have the strength to take it. If not… the sweet embrace of death will always be an option. And that is the best part, because we both know you would never choose it. You will always give in, because **you always give in**."_

" _Stop_ ," you hear yourself hiss; half-plea and half-rage, burning inside you even more strongly than the light. "We're not here for you. We will never be yours. And we don't want to hear another word."

_"Is that so? You are the ones who came here. You were so close to the end, to your Carlos, to the way out, and yet, instead, you walked freely into my abyss. The lighthouse was there, the beacon, the warning, and still, you came."_

The worst part of this is that you know it's true. You _could_ just have gone into the lighthouse. But you didn't. You came here. You came here because you convinced yourself – and Kevin – that you needed to.

Did some part of you know why? Does some part of you want it?

_"I could tell you why, if you like,"_ not-just-Carlos goes on, with another little smile. _"I could answer all those questions. Then you would understand. Then you would see. Then you would realise why I am always your future."_

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Kevin cuts across suddenly, and his whole voice has changed as he does. The pain and the weight are gone from his tone, and it's as if he understands something he didn't see before. "You'd like us to stay here, so you can tell us all the things we've missed. All the things we fear and yet wish we knew… just like my vision of Mr Hartley. He wasn't real. He wasn't real, and _neither are you!_ "

Kevin holds his hands out in front of him, close together, and then _yanks_ them apart, and as he does it's as though he's ripping the very fabric of reality. The light in the air dies all at once, accompanied by a clash like the sound of lightning, and then Kevin repeats the gesture a second time.

And everything seems to shift sideways: the cavern vanishing in an instant to be replaced by the plateau at the top of the mountain once more, with the stars glittering overhead. As the view changes, Carlos gives a sharp gasp, his eyes instantly returning to normal, and then he falls to the rocky ground at the same moment as Kevin drops almost gracefully to his knees.

"Kevin?" you gasp. "Are you..?"

"…fine…" he gasps in reply. "…Carlos…"

You hurry over to where the labcoated figure is lying sprawled on the ground, dropping down and grabbing hold of him, before lifting him into your arms so you can see his face.

"Carlos?" you say, urgently. "Carlos, can you hear me?"

He blinks, his once-more-brown eyes bleary as he tries to focus on you. "…Cecil?" he breathes. "Is that really you?"

"Yes," you gasp, emotion hitting you in the chest. "Yes, it's me, it's us, we're here, it's OK, it's OK…"

Carlos throws his arms around you and holds on tight. "I thought I'd never find you again," he manages, face half-buried in your neck.

By this point, Kevin has staggered over, and he drops down with his arms around you both. You can feel how much he's shaking, but somehow it's different this time, and even though all of this technically isn't real, you know you're going to need to talk about what just happened.

But not now. Not yet.

"Carlos, do you remember us?" Kevin asks. "Do you remember everything?"

"Yes," Carlos replies, urgent and desperate, as though he's dizzy with relief. "All of it. Including how you saved me. And now… this… we're inside my mind, aren't we?"

"Yes," you answer. "Darla linked us, so we could come and find you. And now we have… she said we'd find a door that would let us out, so we wake back up in the real world."

As one, as if in understanding, you all pull back from the hug just enough to look over at the lighthouse.

"It worked the first time," Carlos points out.

"Then we should try it," you say, "because I for one am eager to get out of here."

The three of you scramble to your feet, staying close to each other, and you walk over to the lighthouse. It towers over you, a flashing red beacon in the darkness. A _warning_.

The single door in its side seems to be waiting for you. It is, of course, old and oak, with slightly burnished brass fittings that glint in the starlight. You step up to it – Carlos' hand in yours and Kevin's hand on your shoulder – and reach out with your free hand to grip the door handle.

"Here goes nothing," you say, turning the handle and feeling the door click open.

And, as it does, all of reality smash-cuts to black…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *finally drops the mask*
> 
> OK, dear readers, I gotta tell you, this whole sequence has been super-fun and super-challenging. It's something I've wanted to do for ages and it was such an interesting experience to write in second-person (I've never done that before). I also did _not_ expect to be writing the Smiling God itself in this one - or was it..? ;-) - so that was fun too!
> 
> And I got to tease the old iron gates at last, because that was long overdue. Needless to say... they'll be back.
> 
> Catch you all soon!


	12. The Woman In The Orange Robes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations, dear readers. I'm finally back! Profuse apologies for the gap. Life has been... life.
> 
> But I return, and it is with this chapter, in which... you know, possibly you should find out... ;-)

Cecil jumps awake on the living room floor, his mind racing.

The air is cool and quiet; the orange glow of twilight filtering through the gaps in the blinds. It takes him a second to realise where he is and what just happened, and then he turns at once, desperately looking for his husbands. They're still here too, thank the powers, and both in the process of waking up.

"…Cecil?" Carlos gasps, and from the look in his eyes, his mind is running on overdrive. "Kevin… I…"

"Do you still remember us?" Cecil asks, urgently.

"Yes," Carlos says. "Yes, I remember everything, and–"

Both Cecil and Kevin grab hold of him at once, and the three of them collapse into a furiously tight hug, right there in the middle of the living room floor. It's a while before any of them even thinks about letting go, and even when they finally break apart, they all stay close.

"You remember everything?" Kevin says, as if he needs to hear it again. "You're sure?"

"I think so," Carlos answers. "I mean… you can't exactly tell if you've forgotten something because you don't remember it… but I remember both of you and I remember our life together and… I also remember what happened when my memories were blocked. It's like… a really, _really_ weird dream, but so much more vivid… and…"

Now he looks like he's blushing. "…I remember you saving me. And then seducing me…"

"We did not seduce you!" Kevin exclaims.

"…You kind of did…" Carlos insists.

"You're the one who crawled into bed with us!" Cecil points out.

Carlos looks like he's blushing even more. "…I was lonely. And then you seduced me!"

Kevin leans in closer. "Carlos, dear Carlos, I think perhaps you _wanted_ to be seduced. It wouldn't exactly be the first time…"

The other man has no comeback for this – on account of it being entirely true – so settles for an extraordinarily endearing pout.

"I'm just glad you're OK," Cecil says, relief getting the better of him, and he pulls both the other two in close again.

"There's more," Carlos adds, after a moment. "I remember other things as well. They're hazy, but… I remember what happened before you found me. I… I remember…"

He trails off, pulling away a little, and Cecil's heart aches as he realises that Carlos remembering them also means remembering being abducted. And… what happened after that.

"You can tell us," Kevin says, softly, as he and Cecil each take one of Carlos' hands and hold tight. "It's OK."

Carlos looks down for a moment, and they both just wait for him to be ready. Though Cecil knows it won't be easy to hear, when he is.

"Harper showed up at the door," he starts out, still not meeting their eyes. "I didn't realise he wasn't Hunter at first, of course I didn't. Not until the door was wide open, and he spoke, and his voice was different. He had some story about trying to find you, but it didn't take long to realise that his intentions were sinister. I tried to run, and he chased me, and there was a fight… well, I mean, not much of one… and I don't know precisely what he did but all of a sudden I was just _out_ , and when I woke up, I was in that… that _place_ , alone, and… and chained up, and I…"

Carlos trails off, and both Cecil and Kevin tug him in closer.

"…I was so scared," Carlos whispers. "But I knew you'd find me. I knew nothing in the world… in _any_ world… could stop you. So I just… I just tried to hold onto that. And then… then Harper turned up, with that woman, Miriam. Kevin… you know her, don't you? I remember you saying that you did."

Kevin nods. "I know her. Or, I used to. She was…" He trails off too, a flicker of old guilt in his eyes, but it only lasts a moment. "She was to Susan Hartley what I was to Derek Hartley. Except Miriam was entirely loyal, and stayed that way. She's been running the Coven of the Sun in secret, and whatever they've been up to is about to come to fruition."

"I don't know exactly what it is," Carlos says. "She didn't tell me everything. But she did tell me it involved old iron gates."

The world seems to shiver at those words, and Cecil and Kevin exchange a glance.

"…That means something to you," Carlos surmises.

"Yes," Kevin replies. "When we went to speak to Andrew, he said he remembered seeing one, back during whatever it was that happened all those years ago. And then… then, when we were inside your mind, we saw one there."

"Oh," Carlos breathes. "In my mind? Did it..? What did it do?"

"It just stood there," Cecil answers. "And then it started glowing…"

He trails off, suddenly not wanting to say more. Not wanting to link the glow from the gate with the glow of the Smiling God; the Smiling God that had said… that had told him…

"…What is it?" Carlos pushes, gently. "You're not telling me something."

"We saw… terrible things… in there," Kevin says. "Darla warned us that, although we were in your mind, all three of us were linked and that we might… _wander_ … and at one point, we saw…"

It's his turn to trail off, but Carlos clearly understands.

"Hartley," he breathes. "You saw him?"

Kevin nods. "I did. But Cecil blasted him away. And then…"

He looks at Cecil, clearly wondering if he should continue, but Cecil knows they need to tell Carlos what happened, and somehow it's easier this way.

"…do you remember?" Kevin asks, carefully. "When we were in that cave. Do you remember being possessed by the Smiling God? Or… or some kind of dream-echo of the Smiling God, at least? And…"

He trails off again, now looking a mixture of confused and alarmed, and there's a similar expression in Carlos' eyes.

"I remember," Carlos answers, softly. "I remember not being able to move, and hearing myself say words that weren't mine, and… why was there an echo of the Smiling God inside my head?"

Cecil looks down. "I don't think it was yours. I think… it was mine."

"So why is there an echo of the Smiling God inside _your_ head?" Carlos wonders. "It's never controlled you. I mean… you've seen visual echoes of it here in the real world, but you've only actually seen it once, that day in the house that doesn't exist…"

And Cecil remembers _that_ moment all too well; the door opening and the light pouring in, pushing at the backs of his eyes. The strange agony, mixed with that odd pull forwards; a need to keep looking despite everything.

He shivers, and the other two can both tell.

"Whatever it was, it's gone," Kevin says, firmly. "It was an echo in your mind, a nightmare. Just like me seeing _him_."

"You're right," Cecil replies, taking a deep breath, though this is more because he _wants_ Kevin to be right, rather than because he knows he is. "And we have more immediate concerns."

"Exactly," Kevin agrees. "We need to go after Miriam and Harper. We need to rescue my brother and find out how he ended up like this. And… we need to put an end to the Coven of the Sun. _Rapidly_. Before they do whatever they're planning."

"You think they'll do it soon?" Carlos asks.

Kevin nods. "Yes. If today is still Liberation Day – and I'm guessing it is, because it doesn't feel like we were asleep for long – then tomorrow is the Summer Solstice. The highest day of the year for followers of the Smiling God. If Miriam's planning something, she'd want it to happen then."

"Then we have to act fast," Cecil says, both because they do, and because having a specific focus stops his mind wandering to bad places. "We should get in touch with Naomi and Darla, and tell them what happened."

"And get them to come help us," Kevin adds, with a grin now. "Everyone knows that Naomi was her mother's first choice to lead the coven, and Miriam only got the position because Naomi turned it down. The two of them do _not_ get along."

"We should contact Tomas and Frederick too," Cecil goes on. "Partly to let them know Carlos is OK, but also because they could help."

"…Oh yes, Tomas was here," Carlos says, clearly remembering. "And I… oh… I didn't realise I'd made up with him, did I?"

Cecil shakes his head. "No. But it's OK, he knew your memories had been messed with. On the positive side, he and Frederick seem to work well together."

"In more ways than one," Kevin points out, grinning again.

Carlos puts his head in his hands. "If they end up taking over the world or something, just remember that I warned you."

"Given the current competition, they might turn out to be the better choice," Cecil reasons, mostly trying to cheer Carlos up, but also because it's true. "I'd rather live in a world ruled by Tomas and Frederick than by the Smiling God."

"…Touché," Carlos concedes.

***

Tomas and Frederick turn up not long after Carlos calls them. They're still dressed in matching black – right down to the labcoats – and Cecil can't help quietly thinking that it's really rather cute.

What's even more cute is the way Tomas immediately grabs hold of Carlos and hugs him tight.

"Don't you do that to me again," Tomas says, softly; an actual crack in his voice as he does.

"I shall try very hard not to get abducted in future," Carlos replies, but there's no real snark in it and he seems almost shaken by the emotion in his twin's words.

"I meant the memory-loss thing," Tomas clarifies. "You forgot we'd made up. It was… it hurt, OK?"

Carlos hugs him again. "I know," he answers. "I know."

"You were cagey when we spoke on the phone," Tomas says, as they finally break apart. "What's going on?"

"We have to go after Miriam and Harper," Carlos explains. "We want to take action before they do. And Kevin says that as tomorrow is the Summer Solstice, there's a significant risk they'll be planning to do something then."

Kevin nods. "It's the highest day of the year for followers of the Smiling God, and Miriam will want to do something big to mark it."

"So we need to do this tonight," Tomas reasons.

"Yes," Carlos answers. "We've called Naomi and Darla too. Between the seven of us, we should be able to come up with a plan of attack."

"We need to work out where they are, first," Kevin says. "I doubt they'll stay at that black site any longer."

Tomas grins. "Oh, I know where they are. I work for the vague-yet-menacing government agency, remember? We're good at knowing where people are."

Carlos folds his arms . "So… where are they?"

Tomas grins some more, exchanging a look with Frederick. "There's an old festival site outside Desert Bluffs: big, open grounds surrounded by rocky crags on three sides. Very remote, pretty defensible. And good vantage of the surrounding area."

"Open sky, too," Kevin remarks, and his tone is suddenly hollow. "If they're planning to invoke the Smiling God, they'll need open sky…"

Cecil glances sidewise at his double, well-aware that tone isn't a good one, and confident he knows why. Kevin has never gone into any detail about the kind of things that used to happen at Strexcorp's big religious festivals, but he's said enough. Cecil knows Kevin won't let it hold him back, of course, though that doesn't mean it won't hurt all the same.

He puts a gentle hand on Kevin's arm, and Kevin lays one of his own on top.

"We need to go tonight," Kevin continues. "Before sunrise can come around. Sunrise at the summer solstice… that's when Miriam will be planning to do whatever it is she's working towards."

"So we get there first," Tomas says, with easy determination. "We go as soon as Naomi and Darla arrive, and we take the coven out before sunrise. Frederick and I can provide backup–"

"…with death rays!" Frederick adds, brightly.

"…with death rays," Tomas concurs, "whilst you two do those science-defying things you do. Between us, it should be no trouble."

"I hope you're right," Kevin says. "Just don't forget… these people are dangerous. Miriam especially."

"You ripped a summoning right out of her hands," Cecil reminds him, softly, because he doesn't want Kevin to forget that. Even if Kevin himself seems very in favour of doing so.

Kevin looks down. "I know. I don't know if I could do it again, though. Plus Miriam will be ready for me this time. And… then there's Harper. If she uses him against me…"

"If that happens, we'll deal with it," Carlos interjects. "We _will_ get him back."

Before Kevin can respond to this, there's a knock at the door. "That'll be Naomi and Darla," he says, and goes to let them in.

"Ah, you're all here," Naomi starts out, as she and Darla – now back in regular clothing – follow Kevin back through to the living room. "Good."

"How did the ritual go?" Darla asks, excitedly. "You said it worked?"

"It did," Kevin answers, with a smile, and he takes Carlos' hand as he speaks. "It was a very strange experience… but it worked."

"You must tell me all about it later," Darla says. "For now… sounds like we have a bigger problem to deal with. Do you know where Miriam and her little band of weirdos are hiding out?"

"Tomas does," Cecil tells them. "He tracked the coven down. They're at the big festival grounds outside Desert Bluffs."

There's a noticeable flicker in Naomi's eyes at that, and she gives Kevin a cautious look. "I see," she replies. "You think they're planning something for the solstice?"

"I'm sure of it," Kevin answers. "Which is why we have to go after them. Tonight."

Cecil looks sideways at his double. Kevin still hasn't told Naomi and Darla what happened the first time they went up against the coven… at least, not the part where he single-handedly stole a summoning of H'ygragagogoth and turned it against them. Which is a pretty significant thing to leave out. But Cecil also knows that Kevin is still very rattled by what happened, and what it means for him.

And that's something Cecil understands. He won't ever forget the first time he used his own powers, or the soul-deep realisation that it would change how other people saw him – and how he saw himself – forever.

It's just… it isn't a bad thing. Cecil understands that, too. His own powers aren't a bad thing, and Kevin being far stronger than he once thought isn't a bad thing either.

But something about it is clearly unsettling Kevin nonetheless. Cecil knows he needs not to push the matter now; not if Kevin isn't ready. Especially not when they're facing a fight against a group who _will_ be better prepared for them this time.

No. If Kevin wants it to wait, it can wait. Just not forever.

***

With no time to lose, the seven of them set out driving soon after. They meet up in the desert, a little way out from the old festival grounds, and park on the roadside, having decided it's safer – and subtler – to approach on foot.

Overhead, the sky is dark, though it's the darkness of midsummer: a dark hinted at the edges by light, as if the sun is just waiting to break back through. And though Carlos is quick to point out that this is just basic science when Cecil mentions it, somehow it feels ominous and appropriate all the same.

They walk together: Naomi leading the way, with Darla close by. Tomas and Frederick move off to the side; both armed and ready to intervene if they're attacked. And then Cecil, Kevin and Carlos follow along behind; the two doubles staying close to Carlos so they're able to defend him if something happens.

If. If. No. _When_. Surely it's only a matter of time?

The group comes over the edge of a low hill, and they can see their destination now: a wide, flat section of desert, surrounded on three sides by rocks and crags. From here, the site looks dark and empty, but they're not going to be lulled into complacency so easily.

Kevin doesn't falter as they walk closer, though Cecil can feel the emotion radiating off his double, and he knows this isn't easy for him. Knows the other man has many memories of this place, and they're not memories he wants to indulge. Ideally, ever again.

The closer they get, the heavier the air feels, and Cecil is sure it isn't just his nerves. It's as though the world itself is aware of what's coming, of the danger, the _threat_ , and reacting accordingly.

In the centre of the open festival grounds, the ground is scorched and blackened: clearly the site of many bonfires past. Kevin stares at it, hand on the hilt of his knife, and Cecil finally risks breaking the silence.

"Are you OK?"

"I've been better," his double replies. "This is almost as bad as the night we went back to the manor. Though at least Andrew isn't here this time."

"Good thing, too," Darla cuts in. "Otherwise he might have gotten himself cursed."

"Where are they all?" Carlos now asks, looking over at his twin. "You're sure this is where they went?"

Tomas nods. "They're here. Trust me."

And, as if on cue, there's a sudden burst of flame; not from the old, charred ground but from further ahead, and a ring of fire blazes into existence around the whole site. And whilst it's wide enough that they're safe where they are, it's also true that they're trapped in the middle of it.

And they're not alone. From the crags up ahead, just within the fire, orange-robed figures emerge into view. Their numbers are noticeably down on last time, but there's still quite a group of them. At the centre of the group, Miriam Lowell stands with a smile on her face: looking just as she did before, with the stag-horned headdress, and that dagger in one hand. Harper is at her side, arms folded and glowering at them.

Without hesitation, Kevin steps forward, and Cecil loves him for that. And is more than a little terrified by it at the same time.

"Well, if it isn't my favourite little group of traitors," Miriam says, smoothly. "So considerate of you to come together. This way, I can get rid of you all at once."

"This ends here," Kevin declares, sounding unfazed. "Whatever you're planning, we won't let it happen. Either you and your coven surrender, or we'll do what has to be done."

" _'What has to be done'_?" Harper repeats. "Don't talk around it. If you've come here to kill us, little brother, then say it."

"I don't want to kill you," Kevin answers. "Not even you, Miriam. Not even knowing what you did to Carlos. But I will, if you give me no choice. _We_ will."

"You can try," Miriam cuts in. "We're ready for you this time."

Her voice is level and determined, but there's something more in it as well. Something she doesn't want them to pick up on… and something Cecil, with all his years of journalistic experience, can't possibly miss.

"Are you?" he says, levelly. "Really? You're trying to act like it, and the fire is definitely a nice touch, but are you _actually_ prepared to face us, here and now? Because something tells me that, in truth… you're not."

Miriam gives a cold laugh, but underneath it, her tone is faltering. "Of course we are. And we'll prove it."

"No," Cecil goes on, the words filling him up, like he's sure of them, like he's sure of all of this. "No, you won't. You're _not_ ready for this. Whatever you're planning, you can't do it until sunrise."

"Doesn't mean we can't kill all of you first," Harper throws across.

Seemingly understanding, Kevin takes his hand off the hilt of his knife and folds his arms. "Go on, then," he says.

There's a pause, an impasse; a hesitation of galactic proportion.

"… _fine!_ " Harper yells, wrenching his knife from its sheath and launching himself at Kevin.

What happens next does so very quickly. As Kevin draws his own weapon and moves to lock blades with his long-lost brother, Miriam howls something to the rest of the coven. Cecil can't understand what she's saying, but he can tell that the words are in Dzy-an-thyl and – whatever they are – they make the rest of the coven stay put. Seconds later, Miriam brandishes that golden dagger of hers at Cecil again, and he knows she's going to try what she did back at the black site: the attack that will nullify his abilities for the next few hours.

But he's ready this time. As vivid red light erupts towards him, he holds up a hand and causes a flickering purple shield to flare into life between himself and Miriam. The burst of red hits it dead-on and skitters away into the night, and Miriam lets out another howl as it does.

This one, however, is in English, and clearly meant for him. "Damn you, Night Valean!"

Always one for perfect timing, Darla picks this moment to remark, "now _that_ is cool," with a wicked grin on her face.

And all hell breaks loose. Caution long since abandoned, Miriam launches herself at Cecil, but before she can get close, Naomi has drawn her own weapon and intercepted the other woman. And there, bathed in flickering firelight, brother fights brother whilst true-blood heir fights adopted heir; blades locking and clashing as they do.

Despite their orders, the other coven members try to make a move; clearly ready to attack. Cecil holds up his hands, vibrant purple glowing at both. "Don't even think about it!" he shouts, and most of them – most of them – take the hint.

One doesn't. "For the Smiling God!" an orange-robed man shouts, blade drawn as he leaps at them. He doesn't get far, though, because Tomas immediately snaps out those two nightsticks he carries, and smacks the man hard about the head before he can react. It's so fast, it would be funny if the situation wasn't so dire.

"Merciful Planck, that's hot," Frederick breathes, and brandishes the miniaturised death ray mark three at the floored man. "I'd stay down, if I were you," he says.

"Anyone else want to play?" Tomas asks, giving both nightsticks a spin as he does.

Perhaps sensibly, the other coven members opt not to take him up on the offer.

Closer to the centre, the two duels are still ongoing: silver blades clashing and swiping as the combatants move. And whilst Cecil is no expert in this, he's seen both Kevin and Naomi fight enough times before to be sure of one thing:

They're both winning.

Seeing their leaders in trouble, the rest of the coven start to react: drawing their own blades and closing in. Darla gives a howl of delight, clearly deciding that this is her cue to join in, and she draws her knife as she launches at a group of them. Seconds later – exchanging a _very_ flirtatious grin with each other – Tomas and Frederick move to join the fray: Tomas with his nightsticks and Frederick with that miniaturised death ray of his.

"I still don't approve of those," Carlos murmurs, though he sounds less convinced than usual.

"Stay close to me," Cecil tells him – knowing that Carlos really doesn't like to get involved in the fighting – and he holds up a hand; purple glowing brighter as he does. He pauses a moment, and then gives a flick of the wrist, sending bolts of that purple light blazing towards several of their attackers at once.

And oh, but it works so well. Which is very pleasing, partly because it evens the odds a little, and partly because every time he's tried when he's been practicing, it hasn't worked well at all.

Must be a life-or-death thing. Though, strangely, Cecil isn't worried about them losing this. On the contrary. It almost feels like they're drawing it out, just to give the coven a sporting chance.

When the end comes, it comes quickly. In the midst of the fighting, and the flames, and the light, there's a sharp gasp and a cry from Miriam. Cecil turns in time to see her drop to her knees, with Naomi's blade in her chest.

"You could never be my mother's heir," Naomi hisses, triumphant. "But you do get to die like my father did."

"You… b–…" Miriam tries, and then collapses sideways, dead.

" _No!_ " Harper howls, launching himself at Naomi. And that's clearly a mistake, because it means he's taken his eyes off Kevin. Before Harper can take more than a couple of steps, Kevin cracks him about the head with the hilt of his knife, and Harper goes down at once: unconscious, but alive.

Naomi yanks her blade free from Miriam's body and brandishes it at the still-standing remains of the coven, given that a number of them are already lying dead or unconscious in the sand.

"Run," she says, voice almost a growl. "Run now, or join Miriam on the other side."

" _So_ hot," Darla breathes, shamelessly, as the orange-robed survivors turn and flee through the rapidly-dying flames and into the night.

And silence falls.

"That was… quick," Carlos says, after a moment.

Naomi shrugs. "Miriam may have talked big, but she wasn't close to my mother – or my father – when it came to power. Or knife-fighting, it seems." She slips her blade away, glancing up at the dark sky for a few seconds. "Thanks, Terry," she murmurs, and then turns to where Kevin is now kneeling at his unconscious brother's side.

"Is he..?" Cecil asks, chest full of worry.

"He's breathing," Kevin answers, his voice unnaturally flat. "But he's alive. And he… we have to find out what happened to him. Why he's like this. We… _I_ … need to know."

"Let's regroup and head to my place," Naomi suggests. "We'll take Harper with us, and we'll see if we can work out what to do with him."

Hopefully there's a good answer to this quandary, because Cecil doesn't know what they'll do if there isn't.

***

Cecil has always liked Naomi and Darla's house, since the first time they came here. And rather more, of course, since the effects of the Bloodstone were removed and the view out over the town became a lot less alarming. They all park up in the driveway, and then Kevin and Tomas carry the still-unconscious Harper indoors and through to the main living room, lying him back on one of the longer couches.

"…This is very unsettling," Cecil murmurs, because it is. Harper looks _exactly_ like Hunter, and even when you're very used to people having doubles, it's still odd to encounter one for someone in your own family. Especially one you never thought you'd meet.

"Seconded," Kevin agrees, seemingly unable to take his eyes off his brother. "Should we… try to wake him?"

"We can provide backup if you do," Tomas says, headtilting towards Frederick, who gives a cheery wave with his death ray.

"Heavily-armed backup," Frederick concurs. "My favourite kind!"

"We need to consider how this is going to go," Naomi interjects, smoothly. "You have to be ready for the possibility that Harper is like this because he wants to be. Strex always had true loyalists: people who didn't need the Bloodstone to make them obey. It may be that Harper was – _is_ – one of them. Or," she goes on, no doubt partly because of the distraught look in Kevin's eyes, "there may be some form of mind control involved."

"It can't be Bloodstone-related," Carlos reasons. "There isn't one around. We'd hear it if there was."

Naomi nods. "Agreed. It could be classic conditioning, which would be almost as problematic as free choice but less likely, given that Strexcorp-that-was rarely needed to resort to it, given that they had the Bloodstone. Or…"

"…he could be soul-bound," Kevin adds, softly; his expression conflicted. "The… kind of soul-bind I had with… with your father. The one Azzie broke for me."

Cecil still shivers whenever he thinks about that. He certainly doesn't want to know what would have happened if the bind _hadn't_ been broken in time.

"A bind like that is not easy to create," Naomi points out. "It is possible to have one between two humans, but the one creating the bind would need to be _very_ powerful. Otherwise, they'd need to be a demon."

"Could Miriam have done it?" Cecil asks.

"Maybe," Naomi answers. "She certainly wasn't powerless. But a bind like that breaks instantly on the death of either party, and Harper was still fighting after Miriam went down. If he'd been soul-bound to her, he'd've come to almost at once. Most likely in shock. Given that he didn't…"

"…he wasn't," Kevin says, softly.

"There could be someone else," Carlos reasons. "Someone higher up."

"The quickest way to tell would be to have a pureblood demon check him out," Naomi says. "They can detect any soul-binds a person has, and who with."

"Good point," Kevin replies, as if snapping out of a trance. "Shall I go summon Azzie in your garden? I don't want to get ash on your carpets."

"Go ahead," Naomi tells him. "You know the way."

"Ooooh, can I come watch?" Frederick enthuses. "I love this part. Things that defy science are fun!"

Despite everything, Kevin smiles. "Sure. Azzie likes having an audience…"

***

Kevin returns a few moments later, with Azatothoth the Bloodthirsty stomping along behind him. The demon takes one look at the still-unconscious Harper and then gives Kevin a surprisingly sympathetic glance. "I see what you mean," he says. "Let me check him out."

They all back off to let Azatothoth in close. He bends down and presses a hand to Harper's chest, and the unconscious man jolts slightly but doesn't wake. The contact lasts only a few seconds, and then the demon straightens up and turns, giving Kevin a very odd look.

"…Is this a test?" he asks, carefully. "It's actually a test this time, right?"

"No," Kevin replies, his voice hollow. "No, it's still not a test. Azzie, just tell me. Who is my brother soul-bound to?"

"That's the thing," Azzie replies. "He's soul-bound to someone, but I have no idea who."

"I thought you could always tell."

"I _can_ always tell. Except, right now, I can't tell."

"Is there a way to hide something like that?" Kevin asks, now turning to Naomi.

"From an adjunct?" Naomi replies, looking just as perplexed. "Not that I've ever heard of."

"So… what do we do?" Cecil wonders aloud, trying not to sound as worried as he feels.

Naomi shrugs. "We do this the old-fashioned way. Wait for him to wake up and then ask."

"He wasn't exactly co-operative before," Kevin points out.

Azatothoth folds his arms. "I could hold him upside down for you."

"…No," Kevin replies, flatly, though from the look in his eyes, there might come a point where he'd consider it.

***

With nothing to do but wait until Harper wakes up, they all sit around. Azatothoth stays close to Kevin, studiously pretending he isn't being defensive of his summoner, even though he is. Naomi goes off to her library and returns with a particularly old-looking tome, starting to search through it for any clue as to what could be hiding the truth behind Harper's soul-bind.

Cecil isn't sure what to do, and he's restless about what's going to happen when Harper wakes. He paces a little, until Kevin notices, at which point he tries to pretend he was doing nothing of the sort and sits next to Carlos, who leans in against his shoulder for a moment.

"Oh," Cecil says, as something makes him remember, "I should really check in with Sheriff Sam. See what's going on with that whole other situation…"

And he pulls out his cellphone, dialling at once. He notices the odd expression on Carlos' face as he does, but there's an answer from the other end before he can question it.

"Sam, Sheriff of Night Vale speaking. State your business, citizen."

"Sheriff Sam, it's Cecil Palmer."

"Ah, Cecil, very good. How can you assist the law today?"

Cecil is sure this should be the other way around, but opts not to comment. " _Cecil_ ," he corrects automatically, instead. "I just wanted to ask how Maureen is doing, after that incident the other night."

There's an odd pause. "Incident?" Sam repeats, a hint of confusion in their voice. "What incident?"

A cold prickle of fear spreads suddenly through Cecil. "The incident," he says again, as if this might help. "With the beagle. Remember? You were at our house, and Maureen arrived, and said her beagle had just killed someone named Chad, and… do you not remember any of this?"

"I only remember things that actually _happen_ , Cecil," Sam answers, tone a little clipped now. "If there had been reports of a _death_ , I would know about it."

"…Oh," Cecil manages, as the cold feeling gets worse. "I see. Uhm… my mistake. Sorry to have bothered you, Sheriff."

"Be more careful in future, Cecil," Sam says, and hangs up.

"…Huh," Cecil remarks, now staring at his cellphone as if it could somehow explain this to him. "That was weird. Sam doesn't remember anything about the whole thing with Maureen and the beagle, just the other night."

"What whole thing?" Carlos asks. "Did something happen?"

"Yes, it was right before we set out to rescue you," Cecil tells him. "Maureen turned up at our place. She said her beagle had killed someone called Chad. She was really distressed about it, which is so not like her, and Sheriff Sam went off to help deal with it. But now Sam doesn't remember it at all."

"Was that before we arrived?" Tomas asks. "You should have said. I could have swung by to check on them once we got Carlos back."

The cold fear flares stronger still, and Cecil can feel something at the edges of his mind, trying to get in. A thought. A _realisation_.

"…No," he says. "No, you were there too. You… don't remember?"

Tomas shakes his head, and for once he too looks perplexed. "No," he answers. "Frederick?"

"I think I'd remember something like _that_ ," Frederick replies.

"Yeah," Carlos concurs, though he also looks like his mind is working towards something. "I mean… you were there. You were there… and I wasn't. _I wasn't there_ , which is why I don't know, which is why… it's why…"

Cecil understands, the second Carlos speaks again. "…None of this is real. We're still inside my head."

And reality freezes. Everyone stops moving, becoming like a picture, frozen in place: everyone except Carlos, Cecil and Kevin.

"…merciful Einstein," Carlos breathes.

There's a swirl of light in the centre of the room, and Miriam Lowell appears: orange-robed and smirking. "Awww, shucks," she says. "Rumbled. Ah well… it was fun whilst it lasted. Be seeing you…"

She snaps her fingers, and the false-reality starts to melt, revealing nothing but blackness beyond. Blackness… and an old oak door.

" _Run_ ," Kevin manages, like their lives depend on it.

Maybe they do. Cecil can feel the false-reality pulling at him, as if it wants to drag him down into nothingness too. He keeps hold of both his husbands as they move, trying to stay grounded, but he knows they don't have long at all. They make it to the door and Carlos yanks it open, revealing a vibrant glow beyond.

Without hesitating – and without breaking contact – they launch themselves through.

And all of existence smash-cuts to white…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *beams* I've been waiting on that cliffhanger for so long, I can't even!
> 
> Originally, I wanted to draw things out at least another chapter before doing the reveal, but given how long it's been since my last update, I worried it would look like I was rushing this one to its conclusion due to the whole fake-showdown thing, and I didn't want to do that. Needless to say, Miriam's fake-death and the still-dreaming reveal have been part of the plan since very early on, mostly due to the fact that I LOVE that kind of mind-screw twist and I've always wanted to do one. I actually wanted to call this chapter A Chapter About Us, but I thought it would give the game away too easily!
> 
> Coming up next... the real world. Where PLOT has been happening. If you wondered where all the stuff about the strangers had gone, your questions will (hopefully soon!) be answered.
> 
> :-)


	13. Things Fall Apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations, dear readers! I'm back again, and trying to get this one going at a reasonable pace once more.
> 
> So, we remember how much I love a nice wham-chapter, right?
> 
> Jolly good.
> 
> Here's one...

Cecil jumps awake on the living room floor, his heart racing.

Panic hits him all at once as he remembers what just happened, and he turns, frantically looking for Carlos and Kevin. They're both here, and both in the process of waking up as well: fear and alarm on their faces.

"Did that..?" Kevin tries. "Did we just..?"

"Is this even real?" Carlos gasps. "How do we know..?"

They don't, of course. They just have to hope, and it's clearly not a fact that sits well with any of them.

"Do you still remember us?" Cecil asks Carlos, urgently. Realising that, if they _are_ now awake, he needs to check this part again.

Carlos nods. "Yes. I remember everything. At least… I think I do. And that… all of that… since we thought we woke up… none of it happened."

"No," Kevin agrees. "Miriam must have realised what we'd do to fix you and built in some kind of failsafe. Something to keep us under for longer, so that… so…"

He seems to hit a mental brick wall, and Cecil feels it too: an understanding as to what Miriam's true goal was.

"…She never wanted to beat us," Kevin breathes. "She meant for us to escape with Carlos. She wanted us to try to fix him, so that we'd end up trapped in his head. So that we'd be out of the way for…"

At this moment, distant sounds – which have been going on since they first woke up – start to intrude upon their minds. There's what sounds like rumbles of thunder, and the occasional scream, and Cecil feels his blood go cold as ice as he realises something serious has happened outside.

"How long were we asleep?" Carlos manages, saying what they're all thinking.

Kevin scrambles to his feet, hurrying over to the window and peering out through the blinds. "…Merciless Azatothoth," he gasps. "There's been some sort of… of… apocalypse!"

"What?" Cecil exclaims, as he and Carlos scramble upright too. Carlos goes over to join Kevin at the window, whilst Cecil pulls his cellphone from his pocket, feeling his stomach lurch as he sees the date.

"…It's Thursday," he says, voice hollow. "Thursday 23rd. We've been asleep for three days. I know Darla said we'd be in suspended animation, but… how has no one come back for us..?"

He thumbs through his contacts, quickly finding Steve's number and speed-dialling, but the screen is showing no signal, and the call never goes out.

"…I think the cellphone network is down," he murmurs, worrying even more. "And–"

"Cecil, you need to come see this," Carlos interjects, softly, having now looked outside too. "It's… you need to know."

And as Cecil paces closer, Kevin lifts the blinds, revealing the view beyond. The sky is turbulent and dark, lit by flashes of lightning, and several of the houses across the street look to have been half-demolished or burnt out. The grass of the front lawns is brown and charred; lifeless and dead.

And there are strangers: a whole line of strangers, standing just beyond their front gate and staring in at them, as if watching or… no. _Waiting_.

"…Thank the planes my warding held…" Kevin gasps, dropping the blinds again so they don't have to keep looking out at _them_. "Otherwise…"

He trails off, which is helpful, because Cecil does not want to think about 'otherwise'. Not when they've lain here, unconscious and helpless, for three days.

"We… we need to find out what happened," Carlos manages. "And where our families and friends are, and if they're…"

He trails off too, but the silence says more than words ever could, and Cecil feels sick at the thought of what might have gone on here, when they weren't around to help.

At this point, there's movement from the kitchen doorway behind them, and they all spin around – Kevin drawing his knife in mid-motion – to see what's caused it. And Cecil's stomach lurches all over again as they realise that there's someone else here; someone he doesn't recognise.

The person in question is a man; wearing heavy boots, dark denim trousers, and a short leather jacket. He's very tall and _very_ powerfully-built, with strikingly dark eyes that seem almost red, and the moment he sees them, he looks a mixture of alarmed and relieved.

Without hesitating, Kevin steps in front of Cecil and Carlos, pointing his knife at the newcomer. "Who are you?" he demands. "Who are you and what are you doing in our house? I swear, one wrong move and I will _take you down_. And I'll _enjoy it_ , and–"

The very tall man gives an odd little sigh that sounds almost long-suffering, and suddenly Cecil's brain catches on, though it's a few more seconds before he can process what he's realising.

"Kevin, take a breath," says the very tall man. "And put the knife down. It's me."

"I don't know who you are or what you expect to accomplish with this, but I meant what I said," Kevin ploughs on, his mind no doubt a few seconds behind Cecil's due to the added adrenaline.

" _Tereta_ ," the tall man half-growls, as if he didn't think he'd have to resort to this. "It's _me_."

Kevin freezes, though he doesn't lower his knife. "… _Azzie?!_ " he gasps, incredulous.

The very tall man nods. "Indeed."

It's obvious, once you realise. Even as a human, Azatothoth has exactly the same facial expressions, and no wonder his pupils look so red.

"You're… Azzie? My Azzie?" Kevin exclaims, half washed-out relief and half giddy with amusement. "Azatothoth the Bloodthirsty, Seventeenth Adjunct to the Fourth Infernal Plane?"

"The same."

"But you're… human! And wearing jeans!"

Azatothoth sighs. "I couldn't find any plate armour at short notice!" he exclaims. "And there's an apocalypse in full-swing!"

"How are you even here?!"

"Ms Naomi summoned me two days ago, after things kicked off. She said she needed someone to watch over the three of you. But I can't stay on this plane long-term, not in my true form. You know that. Ms Naomi said she'd been studying books and journals left behind by her mother, and she said she could bind me in human form. So… she did."

All of this would be desperately, wonderfully funny, were it not for the fact that it contains the word 'apocalypse'. Cecil takes a cautious step forward.

"What happened here?" he asks, confident he doesn't want to know, and confident he needs to nonetheless.

"It's bad," Azatothoth says. "I don't know all the details, but I do know that it started on the summer solstice. Something happened out in the desert, and not long after, the strangers in both Desert Bluffs and Night Vale went completely… 'berserk' is the wrong word because it implies speed or frenzy, which isn't accurate, but… somehow it's still true. It's chaos everywhere. Destruction and death, and disappearances."

"What about our families?" Cecil pushes, urgently. "And our friends. Are… are they..?"

"Ms Naomi said there was a plan," Azatothoth answers. "I don't know the details, but she said she said something about needing a 'third option', and about your scientist's twin…"

"Tomas?" Carlos interjects. "Is he OK?"

"The last time I spoke to Ms Naomi, it sounded that way," Azatothoth goes on. "She said your Tomas had been working on something that might be helpful. Something called 'Project Sigma'."

"Does that mean anything to you?" Cecil says to Carlos.

The scientist shakes his head. "No. But Tomas is very secretive."

"We need to get out there," Kevin says. "We need to find them. Find everyone we can. They might know more about what's happened."

"Agreed," Cecil replies. "But… all those strangers…"

"They're drawn towards humans," Azatothoth says. "The only reason this house isn't full of them is Kevin's warding. Without it… they would have gotten in."

"So what do we do?" Carlos wonders, with a very obvious shiver.

Azatothoth gestures towards the door. "We move quickly. Those things can move very fast too, but they seem to do it in bursts, and especially when no one is looking at them. The trick is not to let them get close. If you stay too close to one for too long… you'll turn into a stranger as well."

Cecil feels his stomach lurch. "Is it… permanent?" he manages.

"I don't know," Azatothoth replies. "I'd rather not need to find out."

"They've got the cars completely blocked in," Carlos reminds them. "Which means we'll have to go on foot."

"So we do," Kevin says, in the voice he uses when he's trying to sound braver than he feels. "We run, we stick together, and… where do we go?"

"Leave that to me, _tereta_ ," Azatothoth says. "There's a plan for what to do when you three woke up. I need to get you to the meeting point, where Ms Naomi said to go."

"Which is?"

"…I don't want to say it out loud, in case those things can hear us. You'll just have to trust me."

Despite it all, Kevin smiles. "Azzie. You've saved my life – our lives – multiple times. Of course I trust you."

Azatothoth looks a mixture of sullen and awkward at the sudden emotion, and gives a gruff nod. "All right then."

***

Once they're ready to leave, they gather in the hallway, by the door.

"Should I try blasting them?" Cecil asks, looking at Azatothoth hopefully.

"If we get desperate, yes," Azatothoth replies. "But you might want to resist doing it unless you have to. Power like yours will attract more of them, the same way the warding on this house attracts them."

"What about stabbing?" Kevin suggests, with a wicked flicker in his eyes. "I didn't get to try that the first time."

"It doesn't make a difference," Azatothoth answers. "Physical attacks like stabbing or lighting them on fire doesn't slow them down, until it causes serious damage to their bodies. You'd need to chop their legs off. And that'd be just great if I had my sword, but I don't, because this puny, human body can't quite lift it…"

He looks a mixture of annoyed and ashamed. Kevin pats him on the arm.

"It's OK, Azzie. I'm sure Naomi will turn you back into a demon as soon as all this is over."

"I hope so. I miss my sword. And my bow that fires spears. And being able to see more than seven puny colours."

Now he looks wistful, which is at least an improvement.

They move closer to the door: Azatothoth first, with Kevin behind him, then Cecil, and then Carlos. The scientist is oddly quiet and looks more rattled than usual – even despite the situation they're in – and Cecil just hopes they can get somewhere safe as soon as possible, so he can try to help.

Right now, they have a bigger problem to deal with. Azatothoth slowly opens the front door, revealing the view beyond, and it isn't an easy view to look at. The wrecked houses and charred lawns are unsettling enough; the turbulent sky doubly-so. But it's the crowd of strangers that's most alarming: lined up along the sidewalk, right outside the front gate, as though the warding protecting the house is like a fishbowl and they're pressed up against the glass. They have the driveway completely blocked as well, and whilst it might be possible to drive _at_ them, there's a strong risk that it would mean being too close to them for too long.

"Stay together," Azatothoth says. "We need to run until we're out of range, but then we can slow down."

"Go ahead of me," Cecil says to Carlos, suddenly. "That way, if anything happens, I'll see, and I can intervene."

Cecil puts his hands on Carlos' shoulders as they switch places, and he can feel how much the other man is shaking. "It's going to be OK," he whispers, softly, leaning in.

"On three," Azatothoth says, drawing a silver-bladed knife from beneath his jacket. "One, two… _three_."

And they launch out of the house. Cecil – being last out – manages to slam the door shut behind them as they go, and then there's a howl as Azatothoth barrels straight into the line of strangers, body-slamming them out of the way.

Much like the rest of this situation, it would be funny if it wasn't gut-wrenchingly terrifying.

"Run, mortals!" Azatothoth roars, though it's tricky to tell if he's addressing Cecil, Kevin and Carlos, or the strangers.

Either way, the three men don't need telling twice. They run, and as soon as they do it feels like they're making good ground… but when Cecil looks back, several of the strangers are already close, despite the fact that none of them seem to be even walking, never mind running.

"Get out of range!" comes the next roar from Azatothoth, as he starts hurtling after them, smashing strangers aside as he goes. "They're like chaatyxytes! They'll lose interest if you get too far away!"

"What in the name of Einstein is a chaatyxyte?!" Carlos calls out.

"…Oh, you don't have those here," Azatothoth remembers, swiping another stranger aside as he finally catches up to them. "Be thankful. Very pointy. Lots of teeth."

"I don't think I like the sound of–" Kevin starts to reply, glancing back, and then there's a _thud_ as he collides with a stranger that wasn't in front of him seconds ago. He manages to keep his footing, whilst the stranger hardly reacts at all, as if its feet were fixed to the ground.

And it just carries on _breathing_ ; but it's a low, guttural rasp that sounds different from before. Kevin stares at it for a few seconds and then gives a genuine cry of horror, pushing the creature back as he staggers away from it. At the same moment, Cecil and Carlos catch up with him, and they both reach out to pull him further from the stranger.

"Keep running!" Azatothoth howls. "You're still too close!"

They hurtle onwards – the three of them all keeping hold of each other now – and don't look back. And soon, the sounds of Azatothoth attacking the strangers start to get more distant, which is good, because Cecil is starting to ache from all the running. Eventually, they risk a glance in the direction they've come, and there's no sign of any more strangers.

Carlos doubles-over, hands on his knees, breathing hard. "Let's never do that again," he manages, between deep lungfuls of air.

"Seconded," Cecil agrees, also breathing heavily. "Especially not after three days in ritually-induced suspended animation."

"Oh, we should have stretched first, I'll be paying for this tomorrow," Kevin gasps, leaning on a wall. "I'm not as young as I used to be."

"You and me both," Cecil points out, with a little grin. And though Kevin returns the look, his eyes are still haunted.

Cecil is just about to ask why, except at this point there's the sound of movement around the corner they've just turned, and they all tense up. Seconds later, Azatothoth comes stalking into view, and even as a human he looks very imposing when he does that, if still rather sullen.

"There you are," he says. "Good. I think we're in the clear for now, but keep your eyes open. The city is crawling with those things."

"What happened back there?" Cecil now says, looking at Kevin. "You seemed _really_ spooked when you collided with that stranger."

"I heard it speak," Kevin answers, softly; his eyes still haunted. "It didn't move its lips, I know, but I heard it speak."

Something about this is chilling even on its own. "What did it say?" Carlos asks.

" _'He replaces you with his desires. You want what he wants, and he wants nothing'_ ," Kevin says, tone hollow. "That part was so level, and calm, and then… then it was like it was _screaming_ , even though its face didn't change. And it screamed… the words it screamed… _'I'm still in the mud. I'm still in the mud.'_ "

Cecil feels cold as ice. Even without context, something about those words is terrifying.

"What _are_ these things?" Carlos breathes.

"I don't know," Kevin manages. "And I'm not sure I want to find out."

Somehow, Cecil doubts they'll be granted such a mercy as blissful ignorance.

***

They're careful as they walk the deserted streets of Night Vale, with Azatothoth leading the way. They pass more strangers as they go, but they keep their distance, and none of the strangers seems to be following them.

But they still walk in near-silence, not daring to make too much noise and risk drawing attention to themselves. The silence isn't helpful in any other way, though, given that Cecil very much needs to talk; ideally to Kevin and Carlos, both of whom are clearly not OK.

Maybe Cecil himself isn't exactly OK either. Maybe he's just hiding it better. It's hard not to replay those words in his head; the words Kevin said he heard from the stranger.

_'He replaces you with his desires. You want what he wants, and he wants nothing. I'm still in the mud. I'm still in the mud.'_

They go round and round in his mind, and the more they do, the more he's chilled by them. A distraction would be a mercy, but when it finally comes, it isn't merciful at all. They pass a high wall at the end of one of the streets, and as they do they can see it's daubed with graffiti: a single sentence written in stark white:

_'Who's a good boy?'_

"Huh," Cecil says, staring at it. "That's… odd."

"It's… not just there," Carlos murmurs.

And that's when they realise that the intersection they've just walked up to is covered in graffiti: on the walls, on a nearby junction box, even on the road itself, and each instance the same as the last.

_'Who's a good boy?'_

"Who's a good boy?" Cecil repeats out loud, running the words through in his mind as he does. "Who _is_ a good boy..?"

"The beagle," Kevin breathes, suddenly. "That's the missing piece in all of this. We still don't know what's going on with Maureen's beagle, but we do know it's pure evil. What if _it_ is the good boy? That's what you say to a dog, isn't it? That's what _you_ said, Cecil. When you first saw it, back at the radio station. You said _'who's a good boy?'_ "

"So… the creepy physics-defying strangers who scream silently about mud are in league with your intern's pure-evil dog?" Carlos manages. "And I thought all the stuff with the demons was weird…"

"Hey!" Azatothoth interjects.

"…Not you, Azzie," Carlos corrects, quickly.

"…strangers," Kevin breathes, warningly, looking across the intersection to where two of the strangers are now standing on the edge of the curb, staring over at them. "We have to keep moving."

No one needs telling twice.

***

It eventually becomes evident that Azatothoth is leading them towards the high school.

"Why here?" Cecil asks, as their very tall guide gestures to the building in question.

"Good place to land a chopper," is Azatothoth's reply. "Come on."

The grounds are still and deserted; an eerie silence that somehow seems more threatening than the general state of the town, given that this place should be a hubbub of activity right now. They head through the corridors of the school, and out onto the empty playground, looking cautiously about in case any strangers are lurking nearby.

But so far, they seem to be in the clear.

"Keep your eyes open," Azatothoth says, pacing into the centre of the playground and pulling what looks like a flare gun out of his jacket pocket.

"…Whoa, where did you get that?" Kevin asks.

His currently-human demon shrugs. "Tamika gave it to me. Fastest way to call for pickup. Especially with your wonderful pocket-computers not working…"

And he raises the flare gun, firing it straight upwards. There's a burst of light as the flare shoots into the sky, trailing sparks as it goes; hanging overhead before slowly fizzling out.

"Now we wait," Azatothoth says. "And hope none of the strangers decide to stop by."

The seconds pass painfully slowly, as though each one needs to be agonised over before it slips into the oblivion of the past. None of them speaks, but the weight of the things not being said is heavy indeed, and Cecil can only hope that this will work and they'll be somewhere safe soon.

His husbands aren't OK. And Cecil doesn't like it when his husbands aren't OK.

But it isn't long before he has more immediate things to worry about. Just as the distant sounds of a helicopter start to become audible – and draw closer – Cecil realises that there's now three strangers standing on the far end of the playground.

"We have company," he says, softly, getting everyone else's attention.

"Oh, that's not good," Kevin murmurs in reply, hand on the hilt of his knife.

"…and it just got worse," Carlos manages, gesturing in a different direction.

There's two more strangers over where Carlos is indicating, and they are also staring right towards the group in the middle of the playground.

"Stay still and try to keep looking at them," Azatothoth urges, in what counts as a soft voice for him.

Without even thinking about it, the four of them have moved so they're all standing back-to-back; each staring out in a different direction. But even then, it's impossible to really _look_ in every direction at once, and Cecil jumps as he sees yet more strangers on the periphery.

"This is getting worse," he says. "I hope that chopper is here soon."

The distant sounds are indeed becoming louder, and Cecil thinks he can see the chopper approaching from over the town centre.

"…more of them!" Carlos interjects, alarm in his voice, and Cecil instinctively glances over to see another four strangers on the playground now. They're closer, too, and as he looks back at the ones he's been watching, they're also gaining, even without actually seeming to move.

"Cecil, we may need those powers of yours before long," Azatothoth rumbles.

"I thought you said it was a bad idea to use them?" Cecil replies.

"It is," comes Azatothoth's answer. "But it may be the less-bad alternative, given that we're surrounded, and those things are advancing."

The air is so quiet, so still, save for the rumble of the approaching chopper, and the thud-thud-thud of Cecil's heartbeat, which roars in his ears. The more he looks around, the more he can see the strangers encroaching: never seeming to move, yet always closer than they were before.

"…Cecil, you need to do that dome-energy-thing you can do…" Kevin manages. "I think you need to do it soon…"

"But the chopper won't be able to get to us," Cecil points out, as logic rears its unwelcome head.

"We won't be here for it to get to if you don't!"

Glancing to the other side, Cecil can see why Kevin sounds so afraid. There's a group of three strangers no more than fifteen feet away, and the rattle of their breath is suddenly impossible to miss.

"All right," Cecil says, knowing he has to do this now. "All right, everyone stay close!"

He holds up a hand, finding the power inside himself and letting purple light blaze up from his palm and over them all, growing into a shimmering, transparent dome that reaches down to the ground, with the four of them safely inside.

Or mostly-safely, at least. The moment the power first flares, the strangers start appearing all over, and drawing closer, and even with no visible movement they're clearly swarming like moths around a lamp. Some of them are right at the edge of the energy dome now, though it's obvious they can't pass through it.

"That should hold them off," Cecil says.

"How long can you keep this going?" Azatothoth now asks.

"I've never tried it very long-term. A few minutes at most. Though that one was much larger… so… for a while? Maybe? But I can see the chopper coming in now, so a few minutes should be all we need."

"When the chopper's down, we're going to have to charge at the crowd again," Kevin points out. "We'll have to break through them like we did before."

"Leave that to me, _tereta_ ," Azatothoth replies.

He sounds confident, but there are a lot more strangers now, and Cecil isn't sure it will be enough. "Let me try blasting them first," he says. "I can probably do it when I bring the shield down. And then… we run."

The crowd beyond the shimmering purple energy must be at least four deep now, in every direction, and they're _close_. The shield is as wide as Cecil can make it, but given how much some of the strangers had already encroached beforehand, it's not nearly as wide as he would like. And it feels even smaller, with all those strangers outside, staring inwards at them.

"…I'm not enjoying this…" Carlos murmurs, sounding truly horrified, and Cecil reaches to take his hand.

"It will be OK," he insists, wanting to believe it himself just as much.

The helicopter is nearly overhead now, and the pilot is obviously looking for a suitable place to land. Cecil can see Tamika Flynn leaning out of the open side-door, fully warpainted-up and armed with her famous slingshot, and he instantly feels more hopeful.

But they're not out of this yet.

"Get ready to move," he says, knowing that they need to burst out of here whilst the chopper is still on its way down, to stop the strangers swarming it too quickly. "When I drop the shield, everyone run as fast as possible towards the helicopter."

The crucial moment seems to take an age to arrive, and yet also comes much too quickly. Knowing that this is it, Cecil calls out "now!" and then lets the energy shield drop from the top down, like a great wave crashing back from its peak. As the purple light hits the ground, it bursts outwards, sending quite a number of the strangers flying out of range.

And the four of them run. Azatothoth goes first, body-slamming through the crowd of remaining strangers, and he's determined enough – and big enough – to break through their lines. Cecil, Kevin and Carlos hurry after him, trying to keep hold of each other as they move; afraid of what might happen if they don't.

Up ahead, they can see the chopper touching down on the asphalt; Tamika waving at them to run faster before readying her slingshot and firing at the strangers.

They're close. They're so close.

And then comes the shout of alarm, followed by a sudden stumbling as something grabs hold of Carlos. Cecil staggers, losing his grip on the other man and only just keeping his footing; then skidding to a halt and turning to see what's going on.

One of the strangers is close by, and it has hold of Carlos. The scientist looks unnaturally horrified, trying to break free of the creature's grip and getting nowhere.

" _Help!_ " Carlos cries, and the terror in his voice cuts Cecil to the core; doubly-so when the second shout of "…help…" comes and it's distinctly softer and _emptier_.

" _No!_ " Cecil gasps, mind reeling as he tries to work out how to blast the thing away from his husband without hitting Carlos in the process.

" _Don't you touch him!_ " comes a cry from Kevin that's all pent-up emotion mixed with raw rage, and he lunges forwards, swiping a hand through the air with juddering force. As it moves, Cecil can _feel_ the way reality responds; as though it's something physical that can be manipulated… and then he realises that, right behind the stranger, reality has actually _ripped_ , forming a glowing wound in the fabric of existence, with a dark void beyond.

Caught in the adrenaline-haze, Kevin steps closer, yanks Carlos free from the stranger's grip, and then kicks it squarely backwards. The creature tumbles into the glowing rift, emotionless face unchanged as it falls, and disappears completely into whatever lies on the other side.

The tear in reality flickers, starting to close up, re-forming in seconds until there's nothing left but empty space. Half-held in Kevin's arms, Carlos blinks at it and then _drops_ with a gasp, as if he's just broken the surface of deep, dark water.

"I've got you," Kevin says, his own voice unnaturally level, as if he too is not quite processing what just happened. "I've got you, sweetheart, come on."

And they keep running; Kevin half-carrying Carlos and Cecil moving in to help. Mercifully, they make it to the chopper and clamber inside, followed seconds later by Azatothoth.

"Go!" he shouts, though it's not as though Tamika and her pilot need telling, and they're already lifting off as the very tall not-demon speaks.

And as they do, Cecil, Kevin and Carlos huddle together in the back of the chopper; clinging on to each other and catching their breath. Carlos is shaking all over, face buried in the side of Kevin's neck, but – soul-wrenching terror aside – he seems back to normal now.

The chopper is rising fast; the strangers well out of reach, and soon Tamika stops firing at them, turning from the still-open side-door and then glancing down at her wristwatch before looking over at her passengers.

"Just in time," she says, over the roar of the rotors. "You're going to want to see this."

She gestures them in, and they all move nearer to the door – if not quite as close as Tamika herself – looking out at the view beyond. They're high up now; the town spread out beneath them and the desert stretching to the horizon, with Desert Bluffs visible far off.

And then – audible even over the sound of the chopper – there's a resonant _thud_ , which seems to shake the earth itself. The three men look at Tamika, and it's clear from her expression that she knows what's happening but isn't going to say.

Perhaps it's because she doesn't need to. There's a second _thud_ that seems even louder than the first… then a third, and a fourth, and…

Out in the desert, midway between Night Vale and Desert Bluffs, reality flickers and then seems to flip over… and then, where once there was nothing but open scrubland and rock, now there's a vast city, made of angular stone, with great spires reaching into the sky.

Cecil stares, unable to believe what he's seeing and yet unable to deny it, because _there it is_. He looks at his two husbands, and their faces tell the same story: unveiled shock, mixed with a thousand questions, as they take in the view beneath them.

It's Nebolgorod. The miniature city.

It's on the surface. And it isn't miniature anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those of you who have read Believer will no doubt have seen that twist coming due to the reference to Project Sigma earlier on. I loved doing the Nebolgorod-reveal in that one and I really wanted to include elements of that plotline here in the main 'verse too, because it's something I wished I'd thought of earlier! As for Azzie in human-form... that was a late addition which made me squeak out loud when I thought of it and I cannot believe I never considered it before!
> 
> And as for the rest of this chapter... it's probably the scariest one I've written thus far, at least in terms of primal horror rather than human/demon evil, and I want it on record once again that the strangers frighten me a great deal!
> 
> Coming up next: several long-missed characters finally get to re-appear, and we find out more about this whole apocalypse-thing...
> 
> Catch you all soon! :-)


End file.
